An interactive guide with the Cape Girardeau Citizens Police Academy

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI)- Officer Bobby Newton with the Cape Girardeau Police Department gives an exclusive look into the Citizens Police Academy beginning in April.

“So, it’s going to be an academy for the community to come in and get involved with the police department. They come in, interact with the officers that are working, go through some of the training that they go through, and get trained on some different scenarios.”

Participants will get an interactive look into all things law enforcement.

Among those include a ride along in a patrol car and how dispatch and officers communicate with each other.

Added Newton: “95 percent of the work is done in the patrol car. This is basically our office. Our computer system is connected with dispatch. So any time we get a call we can look at the computer and see exactly where we’re going, what calls going on and what’s occurring as dispatch is putting it in real time.”

But depending on the call and situation, a patrol car won’t always work in certain locations.

Officer Newton shows off a blue, four wheeler with full lights and sirens: “Wooded areas that we need to get through seeing if there’s a missing person that we’re looking for, or something of that nature, we can use these vehicles to get to a lot more places then we can in a patrol vehicle.”

And outside of the patrol car, program participants will even get a look into the intense training officers need to protect themselves.

“So our officers go through extensive training, and take down techniques, and that’s what these officers are doing here now, is practicing a two man take down, for a suspect, that’s refusing to cooperate, they go through this training for themselves, along for the suspect as well, so that nobody gets injured in the process,” said Newton.

SWAT team demonstrations, K-9 handlers, a look into evidence and scenario-based training are all a part of the Citizens Police Academy in which residents can participate.

The spring CPA Session will start April 6, 2023 and will run through June 1, 2023.

The classes take place once a week, (typically): Thursday nights from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Requirements: Must be 18 years of age or older and complete an application process along with a background check. Attendees must be working or reside in Cape Girardeau. Class sizes are limited. Applications may be obtained from the front desk at the Cape Girardeau Police Department, 2530 Maria Louise Lane.