Citizen's Police Academy

Two posts in one day? Will wonders never cease!

I have to tell everyone about this AWESOME class that I am taking. It is the Amarillo Citizens Police Academy. Last night was the first class and I was so pumped after I got home that I couldn't go to sleep for hours.

I called the police department a few weeks ago asking to see if Amarillo offers a ride along program. They do and they don't. You can't go on a ride along unless you are A.) a recruit, B.) taking criminal justice classes, or C.) are taking or have taken the Citizen's Police Academy. So where do I sign, right?

I had to apply for the program and was notified that I had been accepted. The knowledge I am going to get from this class is going to fuel my writing for quite a while, I can tell. Now for the really cool part... ready?

We get to tour all of the restricted places - jail, 911 call center, bomb squad. We get demonstrations by the K-9 division and the dive team. We will do fingerprinting and evidence gathering with CSI. We get to catch speeders with radar guns, hang out with Narcotics and SWAT, the gang unit and special crimes. We get to go shoot guns with them, get tazed (or not) and we get to do something called simmunitions. We go into "scenes" geared up and have to handle it like we would if we were an officer and we will be "armed". Wax bullets... hostage negotiations...two minutes of terror...and a full 5 second ride with the tazer.

I'm going to have so much to write about. I giggle with glee... he he! My only nervousness comes from the decision to be tazed or not. I'm not a wus, but a full five seconds of 40,000 volts makes me want to pee my pants. I haven't decided yet if I am that brave!