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Friday, September 16, 2016

Starting September 22, Police Department to hold first Citizens Police Academy

10-week course for civilians to cover police ethics, impacts of drunken driving, active shooter procedures

Image result for Senator Elaine Morgan
I'll bet Sen. Elaine Morgan will be there!
She loves pretending to be a cop.
You’ve always wanted to know how police investigate a crime, what they see and deal with when pulling over a drunken driver, how they train civilians for an active shooter incident and the ethical standards that govern their profession.

The University of Rhode Island Police Department is offering you that opportunity through its first Citizens Police Academy, a 10-week course that begins Thursday, Sept. 22 and runs through Thursday, Dec. 1. 

Each lecture/demonstration runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and most are held in Swan Hall, 60 Upper College Road. The program is free and open to the public, but it can only accommodate a maximum of 15 people, so register in advance at http://web.uri.edu/police/department-services/citizens-police-academy/.

The Citizens Police Academy, which was finalized over the summer, is a result of the department’s community policing policy developed by Maj. Michael Jagoda.



“This is an opportunity to showcase what we do and the advanced training that we receive in numerous areas of law enforcement,” Jagoda said. “It’s not just about making arrests and giving out tickets. It’s about serving the community, helping out when community members need a hand. 

"I constantly ask myself, why now, with the police more highly trained than ever and being the best equipped in history, is there such a lack of confidence in the police? We want to show community members, through our community policing initiatives and particularly, this academy, that the public safety and police leadership at URI is committed to the highest standards.”

The schedule of classes, topics and speakers is:

Sept. 22, Introduction to URI Public Safety and Police Department, Director and Police Chief Stephen Baker, Police Maj. Michael Jagoda; Assistant Director of Public Safety and Director of Emergency Management Sam Adams and Parking Services Manager Joseph Paradise.

Sept. 29, 2016, Active Shooter, Sgt. Michael Flanagan and Patrolman Paul Hanrahan. Through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, Flanagan and Hanrahan completed an instructor training class in Georgia. They are trained to instruct civilians on best practices in an active shooter incident.

Oct. 6, 2016, Criminal Investigations, Lt. Richard Moniz and Det. Mark Brasil. The two will discuss investigations into serious crimes such as assault, sexual assault, felony drug violations, as well as probes into untimely deaths.

Oct. 13, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs and Investigations by the State Medical Examiner. The program will include demonstrations with the Providence Police Department’s BAT (Blood, Alcohol Testing) Mobile and a discussion by state Medical Examiner Daniel Price.

Oct. 20, Computer Crimes and Safety, Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Det. Adam Houston, and Ethics, URI Police Lt. Michael Chalek. Chalek, former chief of the Cranston Police Department, is certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to teach police ethics.

Oct. 27, Alcohol Awareness and Fatal Vision Goggles, Patrolmen Cameron Schneck, John Bush and Hanrahan. In addition to a lecture and discussion, participants will wear special goggles, which simulate levels of inebriation, and then ride tricycles through an obstacle course to experience how drunkenness reduces reaction time, physical performance and awareness.

Nov. 3, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Assistant Attorney General Charles Calenda will discuss state law and how it governs cases of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Nov. 10, Practical Skills Training, including students using a firearms training simulator. “They will be put in shoot/don’t shoot scenarios to get a sense of the split-second decisions police must make,” Jagoda said.

Nov. 17, Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory at URI, Director Dennis Hilliard, program will be held at Fogarty Hall, Room 220.

Nov. 24, Thanksgiving, no class

Dec. 1, URI’s Public Safety Partners, Police K9 Demonstration and graduation ceremony, South Kingstown Police Capt. Joel Ewing-Chow, Narragansett Police Capt. Scott Perin, State Police Lt. Eric Jones; URI Sgt. Erica Vieira and Jagoda.