This year’s Greenbelt Citizens Police Academy has received an overwhelming response, resulting in one of the largest classes yet. Due to the high number of applicants, police had to turn some applicants away.
“There’s definitely an interest out there for it. So that had me excited. You always want to have people who want to be present in your classes,” said Ricardo Dennis, the Greenbelt Police Department’s (GPD) public information officer.
The 10-week course, which began Thursday, March 7, allows attendees to learn more about police work and covers diverse topics like crime and patrol procedures, CPR, what to do in an active threat attack, de-escalation and more.
Tim White, deputy police chief, says it gives attendees an “eye-opening experience.” The program aims to foster understanding and communication between the GPD and the residents, combining classroom and hands-on instruction, said the department.
“TV glamorizes the highlights of law enforcement, but there’s a lot of [other] stuff that takes place,” said Dennis. While crime and law enforcement television shows create drama by highlighting and exaggerating aspects of police work and investigations, the academy gives members of the public a more realistic idea of what happens during an investigation, the duties of police officers and the different situations they experience. There’s a “huge difference” with what the public sees on TV, notes Dennis.
Real-life Application
Dennis has planned the lessons to provide information that residents can apply in real-life situations. “Knowing CPR … and getting your certification, I think that’s something everybody can have and use,” he told the News Review. For example, the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) is active threat assessment, which “teaches people what to do if you’re ever involved in active shooter situations,” or other dangerous situations involving many people, said Dennis.
The Class Members
The application requirements to participate in the citizens academy include being 18 years or older; either living, working or going to school in Greenbelt; having no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions; and not missing more than one of the classes.
“So there’s a lot of things that I’m knowledgeable about, but just wanting to gain some more knowledge and plus I relocated my residence to Greenbelt,” said TeArria Cannon, one of the students in this year’s citizens police academy.
There are 12 participants in the class, an increase from the previous year, which was constrained due to the pandemic. Councilmembers Jenni Pompi and Danielle McKinney are also participating in the course. Dennis is excited about the interest in the program and the full class. “We want it to be fun. We want it to be engaging, and we want everybody to be able to get something from it that they can say, ‘Hey, that was a good class.’ So yeah, I’m excited.”
Laura Charleston is a student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism writing for the News Review.