So you’ve seen all seven Police Academy movies (yes, there really are seven). Or you’re a devoted fan of Blue Bloods. But do you really know what goes into being a police officer?
The City of Rifle Police Department is pleased to announce its 2nd Annual Citizens Academy. The Academy is an opportunity for Rifle residents to get a sampling of the many aspects of being a police officer. The classes range from crime scene processing to the K-9 program.
“The Academy is part of our community outreach. We want to be approachable, transparent and help our citizens understand how we operate,” says Chief of Police Tommy Klein who instituted the program in 2017. Last year’s class was a tremendous success motivating the department to make it an annual event. Feedback from that inaugural class led Chief Klein to make some adjustments to this year’s curriculum.
“The report writing class was not a favorite,” quipped Klein. Hence, it’s off the class schedule this time around.
One source of great pride for the department is that two students from last year’s Academy are now candidates for the open police officer position here in the City. The Chief joked that it is even more impressive that they maintained an interest in police work even AFTER taking the class on report writing and paperwork.
The Academy is scheduled to run on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30 from May 9th to June 27th. If you are interested, you are encouraged to sign up quickly since class size is limited to 20. Rifle residents are given priority and you must be at least 18 years old to participate. For more information, check out the Rifle Police Department Facebook page or call 970-665-6500.
Media Contact: Kathy Pototsky 970-319-8288