Citizen's Police Academy
The Edgewood Police Department is again offering a Citizens Police Academy. The program is designed to give the average citizen a better understanding of the criminal justice system, in particular, the role Police Officers play in the community.
The Citizens Police Academy is approximately eight weeks in duration and classes are usually held once a week during a weekday evening. Throughout the Academy students are presented with information on several key law enforcement topics.
Such topics include police academy training, patrol responsibilities,
Community Oriented Policing (COPS), homicide investigations, narcotics
investigations, the role of the court system (local magistrate, juvenile
division, and adult criminal division), use of force
issues, evidence collection, along with many more. The students will
also have an opportunity to participate in a 'ride-along' program with a
Police Officer during the Officer's shift, upon completion of the
citizen's academy.
The most recent academy class graduated on Thursday, May 23, 2013. The
class consisted of fourteen students. The academy coordinator was
Officer Livingston. During the eight weeks students viewed presentations
given by the following:
- Honorable Kimberly Clark on the function of the Juvenile Court System
- Probation Officer Bill Holt on Juvenile investigations and programs
- Karen Ambrose on Shuman Center and services provided at the Juvenile Detention Facility
- Dave McIntyre (retired police chief) on the Allegheny County Police Academy, academic standards and training 5) Detective Chuck Knox, Wilkinsburg P.D. on major crimes and narcotics investigations
- Officer Joe Tomko on Homicide by motor vehicle and Crash
reconstruction, investigation overview - Trooper Robin Mongo on the role of the Pennsylvania State Police and PA State Police training academy
- Judge Kim Hoots on the function and role of the local magistrate (Edgewood and Wilkinsburg)
- Honorable Anthony Mariani on the function and rule of the Court of Common Pleas, Jury Selection and criminal proceedings
- Reporter Ashlie Hardway (WTAE) on the role of the media and interaction with law enforcement during investigations
- Mandy Tinker on the role and function of the Allegheny County Crime Lab, Forensics overview, fingerprints and latent prints, blood splatter, DNA evidence
- Chief Robert Payne on Homicide investigations
- Deputy D.A. David Spurgeon on the
role of the District Attorney's Office - Officer Michael Crow on Use of Force, weapons used by Police Officers and Tazer demonstration
- Officer Brian Armstrong (Forest Hills P.D.) and Officer Dave
Zaccia (Swissvale P.D.) provided a demonstration
using their K-9 partners, showing the training and various uses of the K-9 program
At the conclusion of the Academy, in keeping with tradition, the
class presented a Plaque to Chief Payne with each of the members' names
inscribed. This Plaque is proudly displayed with prior Academy Classes
within the Borough Building.
Each class member was also provided with a certificate of completion by
Chief Payne. The Mayor of Edgewood, Ed Cook, proudly completed this
year's Academy Class and was on hand to welcome this year's Instructors
and classmates.
There are some general requirements to be eligible to participate in
the Edgewood Police Department's Citizens Police Academy. Potential
students must be eighteen (18) years of age or older, are subject to a
criminal history / background check, must
be free from any illegal drug use and either reside OR work in the
Borough of Edgewood. An application must be obtained and filled out to
be considered for the Academy. APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
AT THE BOROUGH BUILDING.
The Citizens' Police Academy is conducted for informative and
educational purposes only. It does not qualify participants to become
Police Officers under the training requirements set forth by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Municipal Police Officer's Education and
Training Commission (MPOETC)
