Week 5 - Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy

Week 5 included Crime Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, Emergency Management and Q&A with 2 officers from patrol.


Kyle Stoker, a Crime Analyst talked about the Crime Analysis team. The team was put together in 2000. At any given time there are at least 1-2 Crime Analysts on duty. The philosophy is to "Work Smarter, Not Harder!".

Raytown is 9.9 square miles and has approximately 29,000 residents. In 2012, there were 29,306 calls for service, 3062 Incident Reports written, 3395 Arrests, 8297 Tickets handed out and 591 Accidents. It's enough to keep RPD busy but doesn't require as big of a Crime Analysis team as some of the bigger surrounding cities. CAs routinely look at statistics regarding crime patterns, trends and suspects and use tools such as maps, bulletins and forecasts. Career criminals are responsible for most of the crime and that's why Crime Analysis is so important. Only a minimal amount of the crime is random or unpredictable when career criminals are responsible. Most crime is targeted, predictable and connected. Crime includes a victim, offender and a place.

The types of crime that are counted in the statistics often referred to as the "crime rate" include:  Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto Theft and Arson. Raytown sees a steady trend upward in crime like its neighboring cities. Typically when analyzing crime a CA will look at the most recent 3 year period as a comparison. Some 2012 stats Kyle shared with the class include:  19% of burglaries in Raytown happened at a home where the door was unlocked or a window was left open; 57% of theft from cars involved cars that were unlocked; and 45% of cars that were stolen had the keys in them or the car was left unattended while running. Why share these stats? To show that crime is preventable! Some other ways to help prevent crime include:  Neighborhood Watch Groups, Volunteers in Police Service, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and Crime Mapping (raidsonline.com).


Next up, Detective Justin Pool discussed Crime Scene Investigation. I went in to great detail about Crime Scene Investigation and what a Crime Laboratory does in my last citizen's academy so I won't go in to much detail here.  If you want to learn more about CSI read my entry about it by following this link Week 11 - Introduction to and Tour of Crime Laboratory - JCSO Citizen's Academy. 

“The dust and debris that cover our clothing and bodies are the mute witnesses, sure and faithful, of all our movements and all our encounters.” ~Edmond Locard (1877-1966), Pioneering French Criminologist

"Trace evidence is one of the most valuable, misunderstood, misused and underutilised forms of physical evidence." ~ Dr. Peter R. De Forest

Raytown Police Department has 7 detectives and all have a role in Crime Scene Investigation. CSI is about Evidence - Statements - Confessions.  Evidence doesn't lie! The role of the first responder (officer) on the scene is to safeguard the scene. They will brief the detectives that arrive on scene. Chain of Custody must be maintained. Ie... what did you get from who, when, where?  Processing a scene includes the following steps:  Interview, Photograph, Search, Diagram, Process, Collect. The final goal is to apprehend the suspect and bring justice to the victim. One CSI must be on call at all times. Crimes investigated include but are not limited to:  Homicide, Suicide, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Auto Theft, Forgery, Stealing. The Metro Squad can be called in to assist as needed. Death Investigation is the most common investigation assistance is needed with. The Jackson County Medical Examiner is utilized in cases of Homicide, Suicide and Accidental Death. If evidence is collected that needs to be analyzed by a lab, RPD will send to either the Missouri Highway Patrol Lab in Jefferson City or Kansas City MO Police Department. MHP is generally not as backlogged and is used preferentially by RPD.



Major Stranimier

Major Frank Stranimier spoke about Emergency Management. RPD does not currently have a CERT Program but are hopeful to get one going soon. CERT training is available through Central Jackson County Fire, Kansas City Missouri (I believe it's through the Police Department but could be through Emergency Management) and Blue River Community College. There are programs available on the Kansas side as well which is likely where I will complete my CERT program. The Emergency Management team for RPD is responsible for alerting residents to threats. Most common threats are weather related such as ice storms, tornadoes, flooding. Major Stranimier strongly encourages residents to purchase an all weather radio. (If you purchase at Price Chopper some of the money goes back to the EM department for education). Also stressed was putting together an emergency kit for your family. Other civil emergencies that Emergency Management is responsible for include:  Silver Alerts, Amber Alerts, HazMat Incidents. Information is publicized through Nixel message, Public Service Announcements and of course the local media. RPD is part of MEMC (Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee) which is part of MARC (Mid America Regional Council). This is a coordinated effort across the metro so that all area communities are getting the same message.

Emergency Management is something I am interested in getting more involved in. I am proud to be a Disaster Services Technician with the American Red Cross and look forward to advancing my training with the Red Cross and through CERT. A community and it's residents can never be too prepared for an emergency! Having been through my own emergency strengthened my resolve to want to do more in my community. 

Last but not least... Officers Joe Holt and Larry Doty talked about their experiences with the department as a new officer (Officer Holt has been with the department for 2 years) and as a seasoned officer (Officer Doty is the longest tenured Officer having started with RPD in 1974). Officer Holt attended the Blue River Community College Police Academy and Officer Doty attended KCMO's Police Academy staying true to RPDs commitment to hire from both academies. Both Officers stressed that they chose RPD because of the small town feel to it versus the big city department. They feel like RPD is a family. They encourage anyone pursuing a career in law enforcement to get support from their family. It is important to have that support in order to have a successful career and home life. I enjoyed the stories both Officers shared. Thanks guys for taking the time to present to the Citizen's Police Academy!


Next week we will be at Blue River Academy for Firearm Safety and FATS Simulator. All class participants will have an opportunity to practice on the FATS Simulator if they want to. Looking forward to it! 

Week 3 - Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy

Week 3 was another busy week in the Citizen's Academy!

Lee's Summit Bomb Squad kicked off the class with a presentation followed by Crash Investigation, Narcotics Investigations, Juveniles and then ending with a discussion about Gangs.  I don't have a lot to say about each topic but here is my recap of class last night.

Captain Mark Liebig and Sergeant Stephen Poogs from Lee's Summit Police Department presented about their bomb squad.  There are only 7 bomb squads in the KC metro area (3 in MO, 4 in KS).  Bomb squads are trained and monitored by the FBI.  Raise of hands, who all thought it was the ATF that trained the bomb squad?  I did!  I learn something new every class!  The FBI determines who gets approval for training and recertification.  All training is done in Huntsville, Alabama and is certified by the FBI. Training includes 1 week of Hazmat training, 6 weeks of Hazardous Devices training and 1 week of training for recertification (every 3 years). 

Common calls local bomb squads are dispatched to include:  grenades, military ordinance (military has to be called in to detonate or remove when found), military small arms, chemical bombs, commercial explosives and fireworks.  Often times many of these items are found when an older military veteran passes away and family are cleaning out the house.  Fireworks are the #1 killer of bomb squad technicians in US.  Captain Liebig indicated it is because of complacency.  (Officers sometimes think fireworks aren't as dangerous as the other items they come across and aren't as careful handling as they should be.)  All incidents in which the bomb squad is dispatched out are reported to the FBI and ATF and are added to a database.  The database can be used as a resource for training.  

Captain Liebig also briefly discussed terrorism.  He stated that terrorism is always evolving.  It's not necessarily group driven, there are many lone wolves out there.  Recruitment for terroist groups is often now done via the internet. More than 30 terrorist plots in the US have been foiled since 9-11.  Captain Liebig mentioned a few of them.  For confidentiality reasons, I didn't take notes about those and won't post any info here.  Captain Liebig talked about the 7 stages of an Attack Cycle which include:  Selecting a target, surveillance (of target location), final selection of target, planning, final surveillance, deploy attack team, and attack.  

Sergeant Mike McDonough discussed Crash Investigations.  There are 4 officers assigned to investigate crashes (they are called crashes instead of accidents).  They have regular duties as well as crash investigations.  The 4 Elements of Crash Reduction/Life Saving include:  Traffic Enforcement, Engineering, EMS, Education.  Raytown averages about 550 crashes per year which has decreased from almost 730 crashes per year in 2000.  Some of the reasons proposed as to why the crashes have decreased is safety (cars are safer), education, traffic enforcement.

Detectives Gary Davis and Nathan Brand discussed Narcotics Investigations.  This unit has been active for about a year and a half.  In 2012 they made 2308 arrests for marijuana and seized nearly 300lbs.  Missouri is known as the meth capital of the US with Independence, MO ranking at or near the top every year in cities with the most meth arrests/activity. That's not exactly something to be proud of Independence!  With Raytown being so close to Independence, detectives keep busy tracking and arresting meth users.  Bath salts were discussed briefly.  They are illegal to be sold in Raytown.  Residents were encouraged to report any strange activity that could be drug related to the detectives.  They provided their contact info to participants attending class last night. 

Detective Brett Clear discussed Juveniles.  A juvenile is considered to be a child less than 17 years of age.  Every effort is made to contact a parent when a juvenile is apprehended or contacted by police as a witness to be interviewed.  The miranda rights should be given to a juvenile in terms they can understand.  Juveniles are not arrested, they are apprehended.  They can be handcuffed as needed.

Detective Clear talked briefly about juvenile court which is making a comeback in Raytown.  Juvenile court is a special court or department of a trial court which deals with under-age defendants charged with crimes or who are neglected or out of the control of their parents. The normal age of these defendants is under 17, but juvenile court does not have jurisdiction in cases in which minors are charged as adults. The goal of juvenile court is rehabilitation!

And last but not least, Officer Uriel Ojeda discussed gangs. I did not take notes to include here because this was one of the topics in the JCSO Citizen's Academy I was asked not to blog about so for confidentiality reasons I will not blog about gangs in this entry either other than to say that Raytown PD does not believe there are active gangs in Raytown but there may be gang members living in Raytown who participate in active gangs in the KC metro area.  Because Raytown is surrounded by KC, it is important to the PD to keep up on gang activity in the KC area for the safety of Raytown residents.

Next week we are back at the library to listen to more speakers regarding the following topics:  Domestic Violence, Hope House, Senior Programs, PIO's and Social Media, and Crisis Negotiations.

Week 2: Patrol - Raytown Police Citizen's Academy

Week 2 of the Raytown Police Citizen's Academy was a busy one! 

We met at the police department in the squad room where Captain Randy Hudspeth kicked off the night with a discussion about Department Structure.  He went over what his role entails as the Patrol Captain.  He oversees patrol and the crisis intervention team.  Captain Hudspeth explained in more detail how the chain of command works during an incident.  The group asked lots of questions which was great!

Captain Hudspeth talked about training.  They send officers to either KCMO Police Departments Academy or the Police Academy at Blue River Community College depending on when a candidate is hired and which academy is about to begin. The Kansas City programs whether it be at KCPD or BRCC is a 600 hour program compared to other programs that are only 470 hours.  Captain Hudspeth indicated that officers hired by Raytown PD must be at the top of their class.  They don't hire below average officers.  I asked what the drop out rate was for recruits in the academy.  Captain Hudspeth wasn't sure but estimated it could range from 20-40 percent (nationwide).  Raytown is not shy to dismiss a recruit who is not performing well again citing that they only want the best! 

Captain Hudspeth also went over different incident situations RPD experiences.  Chief Lynch reviews all incidents involving use of force, car chases, barricaded subjects and other critical incidents.  Captain Hudspeth reviewed the Priority of Life which is in the following order:  1) Victims/Hostages; 2) Innocent Bystanders; 3) Officer; 4) Suspect.  In other words, victims life comes first, innocent bystanders are next, officer survival is next and suspect is last in priority when evaluating a life threatening situation.  One question a participant asked was in regard to when an officer can shoot a suspect.  Captain Hudspeth briefly reviewed Tennessee vs. Garner. Prior to 1985 if an officer has given notice of an intent to arrest a criminal suspect and the suspect flees or forcibly resists, "the officer may use all the necessary means to effect the arrest" including shooting the suspect. This law was viewed as a violation of the Fourth Amendment.  After 1985 (and the suit Tennessee vs. Garner) officers have to have probable cause for believing that a suspect "poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury," and cannot shoot a suspect just for trying to evade arrest.  If you want to read the case law regarding Tennessee vs. Garner follow this link:  http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=471&invol=1.


Next up was Detective Anthony Hall who discussed the Color Guard.  He was dressed in uniform and explained what was different from the Color Guard uniform vs. the uniform they wear working patrol, etc.  The Color Guard performs at Special Events including sporting events, funerals, parades, etc.  There are 5 full time and 3 reserve officers that make up the Color Guard.  Officers must go through a selection process to become part of the Color Guard.

 

Next was Sgt. Jared Rogers who discussed SWAT.  He brought equipment out to allow participants to get an up close look at.  I failed to take pictures, sorry!  SWAT is a part time unit meaning officers have regular roles they participate in whether it be patrol, traffic, etc and are on-call for critical incidents that would require the tactical team (ie SWAT).  They are on call 24/7.  The SWAT team must go through special training and generally has 2 days of specific SWAT training per month on top of their regular duties and training.  They must also be more proficient with their firearms.  They must qualify at 90% or better on their weapons versus officers who are required to only qualify at 70% or higher on their weapons.  Sgt. Rogers joked that "we (SWAT) show up when the cops call 911".  I probably wasn't supposed to repeat that comment... oops! :-)  SWAT is activated in situations such as Barricaded Subjects, High Risk Warrant (Felony), Hostage Rescue and Counter Terrorism.  SWAT includes snipers, an entry team and a perimeter team.  There are currently no women on the SWAT team.  Sgt. Rogers indicated that no women currently serving as officers at RPD have expressed interest in being on SWAT.  RPD has 7 sworn female officers.

 

The remainder of class included a tour of the building.  We got to spend a few minutes in Dispatch.  Dispatch handled approximately 45,000 calls in 2012.  They have longevity in Dispatch with one employee being there for 32 years and another for 26 years.  Wow, that's impressive!  Talk about continuity of care. 

                                     

A few minutes in Booking:

 Booking Window

And because some prisoners were brought in from Johnson County MO (Wed is court day) we were not able to go in to Detention.  This is as far as we got:

Door to Detention

And finally, we reviewed the vehicles used in their fleet including the patrol cars, motorcycles, unmarked cars, SWAT van, Command Vehicle and portable communications.  No pics, sorry!  

 

I am actually enjoying this Citizen's Academy a little more than I anticipated.  I decided to attend because I wanted to see what was different between a Sheriff's Office and a Police Department.  I thought I would attend KCMO or Shawnee's academy but when this opportunity came up I decided to go with it.  I am on the waiting list for KCMO so who knows, maybe I will attend that one in the future.  For now, I am experiencing what I can at RPD.  I think I am enjoying this one more because I am not under as much stress as I was when I attended the JCSO academy.  If you recall (or don't know), I experienced a fire just before the JCSO academy started.  At the same time as the fire, a major changed occurred for me at work and well for lack of a better way to say it.... I was stressed!  I did this blog thinking it would help me heal (plus I had already told someone I would blog about the citizen's academy!).  In a way it did help me heal, but in a way it made attending the citizen's academy more stressful.  Once people knew I was doing the blog it became more of a job than I anticipated and I was getting attention I didn't anticipate getting (from JCSO and others).  I didn't tell anyone this time around that I was blogging about the citizen's academy.  I know from the JCSO academy what things I probably should not blog about and so therefore I will keep things confidential that should stay confidential (and if I'm not sure I'll ask!).  I will probably be less specific this time around and use the blog to summarize rather than detail the academy.  So far, I feel like it has been a good approach.  We'll see what the future holds... 

 

Next week we are back at the Library for a more lecture type atmosphere and will cover things such as bomb squad (Lee's Summit PD will be presenting), Crash Investigation, Narcotics, Gangs, etc.  Stop by here next week if you want to read the summary.

 

 Oh and for the record... I didn't take any of these pics myself.  They are borrowed from the RPD facebook page.

Week 1 - Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy

Last night (1/16/13) was the first night of the Raytown Police Departments Citizen's Academy.  I was mistaken when I mentioned in yesterday's blog entry that it is their first one.  They actually have had a Citizen's Police Academy in the past but it has been several years ago.  Their goal is to get enough interest to hold a Citizen's Police Academy 2 times per year.  They were very excited about it.  It's nice to see energy in something! 

I don't understand why all Law Enforcement Agencies don't hold a Citizen's Police Academy.  It is a great way to meet the community that they are sworn to protect and serve.  Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets are great for getting information out there but if you truly want to connect with the community I still believe that good old fashion face to face communication is the best.  You know what happened last night at the first night of the Citizen's Police Academy?  People asked questions!  and they got answers!  Real communication happened! 

Civilian Marilyn Flemming is the Community Service Unit Coordinator.  She kicked off the night by providing the agenda, making introductions and informing everyone what to expect over the next 8 weeks.  She runs a tight ship and kept the class moving on time!

Chief James Lynch

Next up was Chief James Lynch.  He actually went around the room and introduced himself to everyone and made a point to shake hands and say thank you for attending.  He talked about the history of the Raytown Police Department.  I won't blog about all the details like I did in the previous academy I attended but I did learn something new.  Chief Lynch is elected not appointed.  I thought only Sheriff's were elected but apparently some cities elect their Chief.  It has to do with being a Fourth Class City in Missouri.  I am not entirely sure what that means so I will have to look that up.  Chief Lynch provided a brief explanation about what it means to be a Fourth Class City but I didn't take notes and don't recall enough to fully explain it here.  It's always nice to learn something new! 

Major Ted Bowman

Lastly but not least... Major Ted Bowman discussed Rank Structures, Policies, Rules and General Criminal Justice Process.  They follow a paramilitary system.  It was interesting to learn about Department Organizational Structure and how the Incident Command System works within the organizational structure. Formal rank vs. operational rank, operations commander vs. incident commander, etc.  I won't even begin to try to explain it.  If you want to learn more... attend a Citizen's Academy!  :)

Next week Patrol will be discussed.

Line up... Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy

Here is the Line Up for the 8 Week Citizen's Police Academy:

Week 1:   Introduction and Orientation, History of Department, Rank Structure, Policies, Rules and General Criminal Justice Process

Week 2:  Patrol Operation, Tour of Department, Introduction to Vehicles in Fleet

Week 3:   Bomb Squad, Crash Investigation, Narcotics, Juveniles and Gangs

Week 4:  Domestic Violence, Hope House, Senior Programs, Public Information Officers and Crisis Negotiation Team

Week 5:   Crime Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, Emergency Management, and Patrol Operations

Week 6:  Firearm Safety/FATS Simulator

Week 7:  Recruiting, Training of Officers and Civilian Employees, Raytown Crime Watch Team, Neighborhood Crime Watch, Overview of VIPS program and Q&A

Week 8:  Review of Academy (what we liked, didn't like, changes recommended, etc), Interest in VIPS program and CERT training.  Final Q&A.  Closing and Graduation.

New Citizens Academy, New Opportunity...

Raytown (MO) Police Department will be hosting a Citizen's Police Academy. It starts tonight (January 16, 2013) and lasts 8 weeks. I believe this is their first Citizen's Police Academy. I'll find out tonight and update this blog if I am incorrect. Topics covered during this 8 week program include:  crime analysis, patrol operations, domestic violence, narcotics investigation, and Neighborhood Crime Watch programs. It also includes a ride along with an officer in their patrol division. 

For more information about Raytown Police Department or to learn more about their Citizen's Police Academy visit their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RaytownPolice or their website at http://www.raytown.mo.us/. They are also on twitter @RaytownPD and have a blog on blogspot:  http://raytownpolice.blogspot.com/. 

 

Part of my goal in participating in a Citizen's Academy is to improve community relations with local Fire, EMS and Police agencies. As noted in my blog, I am a Disaster Services Technician (DAT) with the Red Cross. Many times when arriving on scene of a disaster whether it be a fire, flood, tornado, etc., Fire, EMS and Police may be on scene. As a DAT it's important to be able to work cooperatively with Fire, EMS and Police. I am also interested in becoming CERT certified which will entangle me a little more with Fire, EMS and Police. I have a background in EMS but since it's been a while, I did a ride along with a friend who worked with Raytown EMS a year or so ago. Now I am getting the opportunity to do a ride along with Raytown Police. Looking forward to that since it will be with a friend who works in patrol with RPD! :) 

 

In 2012 I attended a citizen's academy through Johnson County (KS) Sheriff's Office which was a great experience. Now I want to see what differences there are between a Sheriff's Office and Police Department (if any). Still not sure how much I will blog about this experience but thought I would at least give Raytown Police Department some blog time since they are allowing me to attend their academy. There is no residency requirement to attend their citizen's academy so even though I live in Kansas I can attend.  I encourage anyone interested in learning more about law enforcement to attend a citizen's academy or at least do a ride along with a local agency. You can learn more about local agencies offering a citizen's academy by clicking here or find an agency that offers a ride along program by clicking here. 

 

As with JCSO, Raytown Police Department has volunteer opportunities for citizens. I live in Kansas, work in Missouri and since I am not a resident of Raytown I am not sure if there are volunteer opportunties for me. It's worth a listen though. I hope to increase my volunteer hours this year. I really fell out of sync last year due to the stressful year I had. Volunteering and running always seem to help get me back in to routine so I am exploring different volunteer opportunities this year. I am sure I will blog about those opportunties as they arise. New Citizen's Academy, New Opportunity...  Looking forward to seeing what 2013 presents. Thanks for reading! 

 

New Year, New Resolutions?

I don't know about you but I don't make new years resolutions. They simply don't work. Your intentions may be good but by Feb you have already failed and say "oh well, I'll do it NEXT year." Why set yourself up for failure year after year? Instead...set goals - measurable and attainable goals.

I have 2 goals that I want to accomplish this year...increase my volunteer hours (200+) and run the Marine Corps Marathon. What will happen if I attain these 2 goals? I'll lose weight, feel better physically, feel better mentally, make better choices.... etc. That sounds better than making resolutions that I won't keep!

 

2012 was by far the most difficult year of my life. I experienced more stress than I could imagine possible and I didn't respond well to it. I'm human and I made some silly mistakes because my emotions got to me. I am currently seeing a therapist. It's actually not by choice but it's something I have to do so I am sucking it up and going. Doc thinks I have PTSD and am depressed. Two fires in a two week period (Feb 23 & Mar 6) and a major change at work will do that to you I guess. The therapist is helping me think positive about things. That brings me back to my goals. I never feel better about myself than when I am volunteering or running. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to help others, running gives me the opportunity to help myself. So, I guess you could say I have a third goal - to try to see the positive in life and do positive things. I know if I volunteer and run I will find the positive in life.

I will be attending another citizens academy soon. It's a city agency this time. Want to see what's different between police officers and sheriff deputies. Looking forward to it! Not sure I will blog about it though. It was a lot of work blogging about the JCSO citizens academy. I think I want to just sit back and experience this one. Who knows though, maybe I'll change my mind once the academy starts. That brings me back to volunteering. As with JCSO, volunteer opportunities will be discussed during this citizens academy. I see many opportunities to increase my volunteer hours this year. I can't wait to explore those opportunities and of course blog about them! Happy New Year! Set some goals and make 2013 your best year yet!

Don't have time to attend a Citizens Academy? How about a Ride-Along?

Don't have time to attend a Citizen's Academy but you would like to learn a little bit more about what law enforcement officers do?  Why not do a "Ride-Along" with a law enforcement officer?  A Ride-Along enables the general public to observe first hand what officers encounter during a normal tour of duty. 

Many agencies nationwide allow citizens to do a Ride-Along with an officer or deputy.  Here is a list of agencies in the KC metro area that have a Ride-Along program:

City of Grandview Police Department offers Ride-Alongs for citizens.  You can fill out an application at the station.  To learn more click here.

Kansas City Kansas Police Department encourages citizens to do a Ride-Along.  To fill out an application click here. 

Kansas City Missouri Police Department encourages citizens to do a Ride-Along. To fill out an application visit any patrol station.  To learn more click here.   

Lenexa Police Department offers Ride-Alongs to residents.  According to their web page Ride-Alongs are not to exceed 4 hours and are not scheduled on weekends.  To learn more click here.

City of Raymore (MO) offers citizens a Ride-Along program.  Ride-Alongs will not last longer than 4 hours and citizens are limited to 4 tours per year. To learn more click here.

Raytown Police Police Department encourages citizens to do a Ride-Along.  A Ride-Along is also offered to citizens who complete the Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.  To fill out an application click here.

Shawnee Police Department offers a Civilian Observer program for residents which includes a Ride-Along with an officer.  Non-residents enrolled in an accredited Criminal Justice Intern program may also participate.  To learn more click here.

Spring Hill (KS) Police Department offers Ride-Alongs to citizens.  To learn more click here.


Some agencies only allow citizens to do a Ride-Along if they participate in the Citizens Academy (Adults) or Explorers Program (Youth).  Those agencies include:

Cass County Sheriff's Office - Citizens Academy
City of Independence (MO) - Citizens Academy
Johnson County (KS) Sheriff's Office - Citizens Academy
Olathe Police Department - Citizens Academy
Overland Park Police Department - Explorers Program
Parkville Police Department - Explorers Program
Prairie Village Police Department - Citizens Academy


If any of the above information is incorrect or you would like to update or add an agency that provides a Ride-Along program please feel free to let me know either via email or by leaving a comment.  Thanks!


Oh and if you do decide to do a Ride-Along, don't catch the patrol car on fire. They frown upon that...

 

Many agencies utilize the services of volunteers.  Since this blog is not only about Citizens Academys' but also about volunteering, I will do an entry soon about volunteering with law enforcement and what agencies have volunteer opportunities for citizens.

Want to attend a Citizens Academy? KC metro area (KS & MO) has many to choose from...

I started this blog to recap my experience attending the Citizens Academy through Johnson County Sheriff's Office this past spring.  I got off topic because life threw some challenges at me this year.  I intend to continue to use this blog to talk about volunteering but also about future Citizens Academy's I may attend. 

Want to attend a Citizens Academy?  The Kansas City metro area has many to choose from including of course... Johnson County Sheriff's Office. 

 

 To register for the Johnson County (KS) Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy visit their web page at: http://www.jocosheriff.org.  They typically host a spring and fall academy. 

And of course you can read my recap about their academy by reading my entries in this blog dated Feb - May 2012.

Here are other Citizens Academy offerings in Kansas:

Douglas County Sheriff's Office offers a citizens academy each fall.  To learn more click here.

City of Edwardsville Police Department offers a 7 week Citizens Academy. To learn more click here. 

Kansas City Kansas Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Lawrence Police Department offers a 30 hour Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Leawood Police Department offers a 10 week Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Lenexa Police Department offers a spring and fall Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Merriam Police Department offers a fall Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Miami County Sheriffs Office hosts a Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Olathe Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy in the fall of each year. To learn more click here to visit their web page.

Overland Park Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy in the fall. To learn more click here to visit their web page.

Prairie Village Police Department offers an 11 week Citizens Academy. To learn more visit their web page by clicking here.

Shawnee Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy in the fall. To learn more click here.

 

 

Here are Citizens Academy offerings in Missouri:

Belton Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  You can learn more by clicking here. 

Cass County Sheriff's Office offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  Click here to learn more.

The City of Harrisonville offered it's first ever Citizens Academy this fall.  To learn more click here.

Independence Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more click  here.

Lee's Summit Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more visit their web page by clicking here.

Kansas City Missouri Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy in the fall each year.  To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

 

City of Raymore Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

 

Raytown Police Police Department will host a Citizens Academy starting in January 2013.  Not sure but I think this is their first ever Citizens Academy. To learn more visit their facebook page here.  To register for their academy go here. 

 

And finally, the FBI offers a Citizens Academy.  Visit their page by clicking here to learn more.   .

This list may not be all inclusive. I listed those that I am aware of and was able to find a web page or facebook page for. If I have missed an agency that hosts a Citizens Academy please feel free to let me know and I will add them to the list.

 

Most agencies require citizen's to either live or work in the agency's jurisdiction in order to attend a Citizens Academy.  Academies are free of charge to attend!  Be sure to visit their web page to learn more about each respective agency's Citizens Academy.  If you have never attended a Citizens Academy, it is worth the time!  Have fun! 

If you have been following my blog and are wondering which Citizens Academy I will be attending in the spring, hint... it's one of the above! 

 

 

Past, present and future...

Wow have I gotten way off track in this blog.  Oops...  let me try to get back on track a bit.

Past - The Johnson County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy wrapped up it's 31st class last night.  I hope they enjoyed it as much as those of us from previous classes did!  Approximately 620 people have attended the JCSO citizen's academy since they started holding classes in 2001.  If you would like to attend, visit their web page here and fill out an application.  They do have a waiting list so if you apply now it will likely be the fall 2013 class before your name is called.  I think you will find it worth the wait and the time to attend though!

Present - I have mentioned volunteering a lot in this blog.  Once you complete the Citizen's Academy you have the opportunity to continue on and volunteer with the Sheriff's Office if you so choose.  There are a variety of opportunties to choose from.  I am not currently volunteering with the Sheriff's Office but will continue to post about other adventures I get my self in to through the Red Cross, Wayside Waifs and other organizations I volunteer with (particularly when the activities are in cooperation with local law enforcement since that's really what this blog started out about.).  Hope to join back up with the Sheriff's Office in the summer when they need help with traffic control for parades, etc. 

Future - Have no fear, if you are reading this blog because you want to learn more about a Citizen's Academy, you can read all about my class's (30th class) experience by reviewing the blog entries dated Feb - May 2012.  Okay that's a past event, oops.  Here's a future event:  I will be attending a local citizen's academy other than Johnson County Sheriff's Office in 2013.  I have heard from many people that it's a good idea to attend both a Sheriff's Office sponsored academy and a City/Municipality sponsored citizen's academy and so that's what I will be doing.  Want to know what academy I will be attending?  You'll have to check back here periodically.  (Not nice of me to not tell is it?  Hey, I have to get you to come back somehow don't I?)  I will post updates as I learn the start date, agenda, etc.  Looking forward to experiencing another academy! 

Welcoming the new Citizen's Academy class - JCSO Citizen's Academy

On August 14, 2012 the Johnson County Sheriff's Office welcomed in participants of the 31st class of the Citizen's Academy and guess who got invited to speak to them?  Me!  Okay so maybe Rita forgot to line someone up and just happened to get a hold of me to see if I would speak.  (Dave Deucher, also a graduate of the 30th class, was contacted by Rita to speak as well.)   Still though... me, really?  Out of the 18 who completed the 30th class I was a little surprised I was one of 2 asked to come back and speak to the new class. 

It was actually fun!  (Thanks Rita for asking me!)  I encouraged the new class to have fun, ask a lot of questions and don't admit to being a cop magnet!  Captain Simpson had mentioned to the class that many people don't realize Johnson County has a Sheriff's Office and that many times deputies are asked if they work for Overland Park or the Olathe Police Department.  When it was my turn to speak, I really hadn't planned on what I would say so I started off by saying that I also didn't know there was a Sheriff's Office in Johnson County until I got pulled over by a deputy a few years ago.  That got a chuckle from the class. 

Seriously though, I talked briefly about why I wanted to attend the academy, why it was a good idea to attend all the classes/activities (and if they missed a scheduled class to talk to Rita about making it up with the next academy class), to ask questions and have fun!  I concluded by encouraging them to consider volunteering for the Sheriff's Office after graduation if they don't currently volunteer somewhere.  Dave and I both commented about some of the events we have volunteered at since graduating.  It is a great way to meet new people (other class graduates as well as deputies we didn't meet during our class), learn new things and give back to the community!

Welcome Class #31!  Have fun!  12 weeks goes by really fast, enjoy the experience!!!

 

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DUI Check Lane

I attended a DUI check lane on June 15, 2012. In order to volunteer for the Johnson County Sheriffs Office at check lanes you must be a CA graduate and must first observe one to see what it entails.

The June 15 check lane was run by Shawnee Police Department in the City of Shawnee. JCSO provided support in the form of equipment, deputies and volunteers. JCSO provided 7 deputies, 1 civilian employee, 4 volunteers and 2 CA graduates who observed (I was one of the 2 observers).  I have not requested the statistics on how many officers, staff and volunteers Shawnee Police Department utilized during this check lane and therefore those stats are not included here.

SPD utilized volunteers for this check lane. I'm not 100% certain but I believe you must complete their citizens academy in order to volunteer for the SPD. They hold their citizens academy in the fall. If interested in attending, visit their web page at: http://gsh.cityofshawnee.org/.

Since JCSO was not the primary at this check lane the only role JCSO volunteers played was that of driver. After an officer makes contact with an individual who has entered the check lane and has determined the individual needs to be tested they will yell for a driver. The volunteer will enter the individuals vehicle and move it to a pre-designated area. The volunteer will then hand the keys off to an officer for safe keeping until the individual is either released (passed the field sobriety testing) or processed by the booking officer (if failed testing).

The check lane on June 15, 2012 ran from 11pm-2am.  I don't see the location publicized anywhere so I'll leave it out for now. Results: 88 cars stopped. 3 arrests for DUI. 1 arrest for drugs (possession of marijuana and paraphernalia). 1 citation for open container. 1 citation for minor in possession. This was noted as a low impact lane, meaning it would not see a lot of traffic but statistics indicate it's an area of high incidence for DUI and/or drugs and that's why the location was chosen.

What happens when you drive in to a check lane? If you haven't been through a check lane before you will first notice a sign indicating you are entering a check lane or an officer blocking the road redirecting you in to the check lane. This is noted as "advanced warning to driver" and is mandatory for check lanes. Advanced warning must remain in place for the duration of the check lane. Don't try to illegally avoid the lane.  Officers assigned to observe and pursue will intercept and personally escort violators in to the check lane (one individual tried to avoid this check lane and ended up wearing hand cuffs at the lane while waiting to be processed).

Once in the lane an officer will introduce themselves and explain that they are conducting a DUI check lane that evening. Other officers will likely be shining a flashlight in your car looking for open containers, drugs, etc,. You will be asked for your drivers license and if you have been drinking or if you have consumed any controlled substances that evening. If you have a valid drivers license on you and don't exhibit any signs of impairment you should be on your way with brochure in hand (educational brochure about drinking & driving provided by NHTSA) in about 45 seconds. If you show signs of impairment you will be asked to step out of your vehicle for additional questions and testing.  (Your vehicle will be moved to a pre-determined area and kept secure until you are either released or processed.  If processed your vehicle will be towed.)  An officer will escort you over to a pre-designated testing area to allow for videotaping of the field sobriety testing and preliminary breath alcohol testing (if applicable). If you pass the testing and are determined safe to drive you will be on your way in about 10-15 minutes. If you fail the FST the next step is to take a preliminary breath alcohol test. If you take the preliminary breath alcohol test and fail you will remain with an officer until a 20 minute deprivation period elapses at which time you will perform a confirmation breath alcohol test.  Fail the confirmation test and you will be processed through booking.

If you decline to take the preliminary breath alcohol test you will then be asked to submit to a blood test or may be transported to jail for processing depending on the agency running the check lane. Be aware that some agencies are now getting a warrant for the blood draw if an individual refuses the preliminary breath alcohol test and the blood draw. The blood draw may or may not be done in the field again depending on the agency. Expect to be delayed for several hours if you are refusing to perform the testing.

Drug Recognition Officers and K-9 officers are also generally on hand if an individual is suspected of being under the influence of a substance other than alcohol.  Passengers who are not minors in possesion, transporting open container or otherwise detained for other reasons will be escorted to a designated area until released.

What's the purpose of DUI check lanes? A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that drivers who drink & drive do not believe the chances of being caught are great enough to deter them from drinking & driving. The principal reason for conducting sobriety check lanes is to make sure drivers (that drink & drive) believe the chances of getting caught are greatly increased. DUI check lanes are funded by grants. Literature to educate drivers is provided to each driver that passes through a check lane.

Summer is the most common time of year for law enforcement agencies to conduct DUI check lanes. Look for more to be conducted this summer throughout Johnson County as well as neighboring counties.  Missouri runs their fare share of check lanes too.

Why attend a Citizen's Academy? - JCSO Citizen's Academy

Why would someone want to attend a Citizen's Academy?

Well there are many reasons why someone might want to attend.  Here are a few reasons why participants from the 30th class attended:

"I was looking at JOCO Sheriffs employment opportunities and noticed they were accepting applications for the Civilian Specialists position. I requested an application and have yet to turn it in. I saw the opportunity for the Citizens Academy and thought what a great way to get an inside look at the Sheriff’s Office and get an idea of the responsibilities they have and how they provide for our community. After being involved with the academy, I know now more than ever before that God has opened this door for me and it is up to me what I do now… Do I take the chance and walk through the opened door or stand at the threshold just looking in wondering what it would be like on the other side. Well I can’t just stand there and wonder! Seeing the personnel that we have met, and building some personal relationships with them. I feel I have an opportunity of a lifetime and can’t pass it up so I have filled out the application. I have been inspired to follow my dream and I want to pursue the possibility of becoming a deputy. Since the start of the Citizens Academy, I have lost over 20lbs and trying to get into better shape and hope and pray that I am offered a position with the department starting at the Civilian Specialist and transition into a position as a deputy at some point. Attending the academy has been a “God thing” from the beginning and I know I would be a great asset to the department if given the opportunity."

"Something different to do.  Plus I liked learning about the differences in law enforcement agencies... between city, state and county."


"To get a more in depth look at the field I want to go in to."


"I refer to myself as a 'new born American'. I am still learning how to better understand the great American system, my tribute and respect goes to our everyday heroes, our Law Enforcement Officers. One way to honor them is to understand and value their role in the community and this classes allowed accomplishing this."


"My husband is a deputy. He has encouraged me for years to attend the academy so I can get an inside look at his career. I finally decided to enroll because I want to become involved as a volunteer with Johnson County Sheriff's Office."


"I want to be a police officer. I thought it would be a great way to learn more and of course to get a foot in the door."


"As part of my job responsibilities over the years I have been doing stress testing and physical agility testing on LEO's. Many times I have been asked to do a ride-a-long with a LEO so that I would have a better understanding of their job.  Since I now oversee our stress testing program I thought it might be a good idea to learn about the job as a whole so I looked in to the idea of attending a citizens academy."


"An opportunity to volunteer for and support the local Sheriff's Office"

Are you interested in attending the Citizen's Academy?

The academy is free of charge and involves interactive instruction through both classroom presentations and field experience. To register visit the Johnson County Sheriff's Office web page at:

http://www.jocosheriff.org/

It's an adventure...  :) 

Ride Along #2 - JCSO Citizen's Academy

I did my second ride along today (Tuesday May 22, 2012).  Ride Along #2 was more interesting than Ride Along #1 with exception to the patrol car fail of course!

I rode with Deputy Becker again.   She tolerated me the first go round so I figured why not ride with her again since she said I could come back and ride with her anytime.

The day started with the captain at roll call giving me crap about the patrol car fail during my first ride along.   He asked if anyone had a car they wanted taken out of service.   I guess it's good to be remembered!   Wonder what memory will last longer, the patrol car going up in smoke or winning the cone killer award?  Deputy Becker had to mention the cone killer award in roll call!  I don't think the captain wants to see me in roll call again.   He did laugh though when Deputy Becker said she was going to find some orange traffic cones and let me drive so I think he was kidding about seeing me there again...

April 23, 2012 - "Patrol Car Fail" during First Ride Along

May 21, 2012 - "Cone Killer" Award presented at Graduation Ceremony

We ventured out to District 5 which is the eastern portion of the county. Deputy Becker made a few traffic stops today. One was for a hefty fine of $237 for doing 34 in a 20 (school zone).   He actually said thank you!  He wasn't wearing his seat belt either but only got a warning for that.   Guess he didn't realize that's only a $10 fine (versus the $237 fine he got for speeding).   Can't say I've ever said thank you for receiving a ticket!!!   Turns out the driver works for a lawn service that a fire fighter owns.   We stopped at a fire station for a bathroom break and it happened to be the station that fire fighter was at.   It was one of his employees that got the ticket.   He asked us about the traffic stop and was good humored about it.

At one point we were stopped after delivering civil papers so that Deputy Becker could finish some paperwork.   I was bored so I was looking at stuff in the passenger side door.   We heard a thump and she asked me if I found something interesting.   Yep!  A big black Labrador dog had jumped up on the passenger door to say "Hi".   He was quite friendly and just wanted to be petted for a bit.  I tried to get a pic but we had to head out and I missed my opportunity.

We responded to an accident where a young teen driver had rear ended a vehicle.   She was really nervous and clueless!  So much so that she almost caused another accident while leaving the accident scene after being released by Deputy Becker.  Lucky for her, her father was behind us and didn't see her almost have a second accident.  Looked like she would be getting in to enough trouble for the first accident (Dad was NOT happy!).  She certainly didn't need a second to fuel his fire.  She managed to contain herself long enough to not cry at the scene.

Another traffic stop was for expired tags.   I didn't know it was a $300+ ticket in Johnson County! Guess I have even more incentive to break that bad habit!   Not sure how many times I've been pulled over for that and not had to pay a fine.  Damn, I've been lucky!!!   Might be a good idea to quit pressing my luck with that...  Deputy Becker asked when I expire this year.  Uh oh...  Doesn't she know I already have enough trouble avoiding one deputy when I am stupid enough to play that game, I don't need two to avoid!  Probably should get it taken care of early this year just in case... 

FYI...when stopping for food or a bathroom break hit the bathroom first!   Almost didn't get to use the facilities when I really needed to because I ordered my food first.  Got a call and I had to ask if there was time to hit the restroom because I really needed to go!   Oops!  It wasn't a hot call so Deputy Becker let me use the restroom while she grabbed our lunch.   We ended up finding a park later to eat at between calls.

Dogs must be attracted to Deputy Becker.   Another dog wanted all kinds of attention from her when she was trying to clear a house alarm call.   He was a friendly pooch and returned promptly to his owner when called.   That neighbor then came over and we chatted while waiting for Deputy Becker to finish up.   He was glad to see the Sheriff's Office in the neighborhood.   Said he feels better about the neighborhood when they patrol it. 

I never thought I would say these words to an officer..."Quit being so damn nice!".  It took us forever to get out of QT because Deputy Becker was being friendly and chatting with everyone.   She said at one point that she gets stopped a lot to chat with people so I couldn't resist making the too damn nice comment.  She is actually very friendly & professional which is why I requested to ride with her again.   I enjoyed both ride alongs even if they weren't the most exciting in terms of activity.

Speaking of exciting...the check engine light came on and I quickly said it wasn't my fault.   It went off a few minutes later with no harm done.   Whew, can't imagine how that would have looked if another patrol car went up in smoke with me in it!   I might have become the first person from the Citizens Academy to be banned from doing ride alongs!   I haven't done the overnight shift yet so for my sake I was glad it turned out to be nothing.

I must have looked bored because during one call for service Deputy Becker said to feel free to play with the buttons in the car while she and a detective were inside a residence and I was left unsupervised in the patrol car.  She meant the radio buttons and I behaved for the most part.   I didn't cause any harm so no foul right? :)

A few stops were made for stop sign violations and a couple speeders including one woman who almost rear ended us.   She was having a medical issue.   Deputy Becker had her get out of the car to determine if she was safe to drive.   She was let go with just a warning after it was determined she was safe to drive (she was heading just up the street from where she was pulled over).

No arrests today but that's okay.   I picked up a few tips about how to not get pulled over and even one excuse I might have to try next time I get pulled over!  :)   I know it didn't seem like I was paying attention but I was.  I probably shouldn't say that since I'm sure that wasn't Deputy Becker's intention but she did laugh at my stories and admission to being a cop magnet!   Today was a busier shift than my first ride along.   No patrol cars or cones were harmed during this ride along... Would like to do at least one more.   Haven't done the overnight shift yet so that will be my next request.

Thank you to Deputy Becker for putting up with me again today!

Thank you! - JCSO Citizen's Academy

From Class 30...

30th Citizen's Academy - Feb-May 2012

 

Thank You Johnson County Sheriff's Office for putting on a great Citizen's Academy!!! 

Week 12 - Graduation - JCSO Citizen's Academy

Week 12 - Graduation!

It's Week 12 and that means our time with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy is done. It went so fast! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!!!

We were greeted by a room full of people, all of which were involved in the academy in one way or another. A nice spread for dinner was provided and then the Award Ceremony began. I think I speak for most of the class when I say we had no idea we were going to be receiving awards and such nice certificates for attending the academy. A simple "Thank You for Attending" would have been plenty but the Certificates and Awards were a very nice touch! 

Sheriff Denning addressing the class before the awards ceremony.

 

Rita Jones, Executive Assistant to Sheriff Frank Denning, speaking to the class about volunteer opportunities with the Sheriff's Office.

A few Awards were presented.... "Top Shot"... Best Shot on Range, "Top Gun"... Fastest Qualifying Time on EVOC course, and "Cone Killer"... Smashed most cones on EVOC qualifying run.

"Top Shot" Award for marksmanship on Range day. Congratulations Bill!
(I apologize for not paying attention and getting a picture of you when the award was presented!)

"Top Gun"... Fastest Qualifying Time on EVOC course. Congratulations Derek!

Me! I realize my name is nowhere to be found in my blog soo... Kathi aka "Cone Killer". I earned a few other nicknames throughout the academy but we'll omit those for now! :)

My "Cone Killer" Award!

Graduation Ceremony. All participants received a certificate in a frame with the Sheriff's Office Patrol Patch and Class Picture. We also received a nice pen engraved with our name on it and Sheriff's Office printed on it (Thank you Shakil Haider for engraving the pens. That was a nice touch!) and a nice ceramic coffee cup with Sheriff's Office logo/name on it.

Paul Akin

Doug Bridwell

Bill Capstack

Jason Carter

Kimberly Davis

Dave Deucher

Derek Eveland

Shakil Haider

Greg Hernandez

Kim Jensen

Bill McBride

Kathi McKinley

Angelo Mino

Paula

Gary Seesing

Terry Stove

Jennifer Stove

Jeff Wilson

 

Class in session... last night of academy - May 15, 2012.