Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Warsaw Citizen's Police Academy V ended Wednesday evening with a banquet, but the citizen's involvement in the community is just beginning.
The Warsaw Police Department began the Citizen's Academy five years ago as an outreach of their community policing ideals. The effort was made to teach citizens about what police officers do and face in Warsaw.
"Each and every class was very informational and beneficial," said Catharine Walker, director of Warsaw Housing Authority, and alum of Citizen's Academy IV. "I have a much greater appreciation for the men and women in the police force for the city of Warsaw."
The ten-week class met for three hours every Wednesday evening in the Warsaw city council chambers. Class topics ranged from the DARE program to the dive-scuba team and from the drug-undercover agents to the bike patrol.
Each section of the police force had a representative that introduced what the section did and who was involved. Using humor and hands-on class-involvement, the class learned what the police really do all day and night (and no, duties do not typically involve donuts.)
"You see they're people too. You expect them to solve problems but now you see they have feelings too," said Abbey Hagan of Mutual Federal Bank, and one of Academy V's graduates.
The students met Hero, the K-9 officer and learned about gang activity in and around Warsaw. The students also tried out the sobriety goggles that officers use to educate people of the effects of alcohol on vision. Students wore the goggles and then tried to walk a straight line, with many of them falling over their own feet in the process.
Most academy participants agreed that a favorite week involved a tour of the Kosciusko County Jail and Justice Building and ended with firearms instruction. And yes, the police did let the citizens handle loaded semi-automatic weapons in the shooting range, and according to reports, several targets were killed. The suspects are still at-large, but photographer Al Disbro has many incriminating photos of normally-nonviolent Warsaw citizens bearing arms and shooting for the targets. As Abbey Hagan said, "I liked shooting a gun because I was never exposed to that before."
At the annual banquet, alumni gathered with this year's class to celebrate the police force. Barney Fife, Mayberry deputy, made a guest appearance to speak to the more than 100 citizens attending the banquet. Mayor Ernie Wiggins and Chief Craig Allebach handed out diplomas to each of the students and identification cards although it is not known if the academy was really just an attempt to get prints and mugshots of wanted area residents.
The graduates agreed that the academy helped change their perspective of the local police force.
"I didn't realize the things they do for the community," said Hagan. " They do so many different things, like the DARE program, and they are so involved in the schools," said Haan.
"The respect I have for what police do and have to deal with is enhanced," said Bil Allen, graduate of Academy V and owner of Allen Designs, Warsaw. "Police work is far more involved than simply our perspective - write a ticket and catch the bad guy. There is more behind the scenes work every day."
"I always felt we had a great police department, but I did not know how dedicated and advanced most of them are," said Rick White, owner of Culligan Water and a graduate of Academy V.
The students also realized new things about the Warsaw community.
"We think that we don't have the same problems as big cities. We do have the same problems, they're just on a smaller scale to our community," said Walker, referring to subjects she learned more about such as gangs and drugs.
Walker also had the opportunity with previous classes to participate in a ride-along program with a Warsaw police officer. She recalls this experience as the most memorable of her academy classes. She described going on the scene of a personal injury accident and seeing the stress that the officers face every day.
"With the time, training, energy and education to serve us, they deserve a lot of praise and credit," Walker said. "They deserve the utmost respect from the community.
The participants in this year's citizen's academy were not allowed to ride-along with the police because of the new Warsaw rule to not allow family members or civilians in the police cars.
However, the academy allowed the citizens to have eye-opening experiences as they learned more about the men and women who serve and protect the community we all call home.
"These guys are on-duty all the time, except maybe when they sleep," said White. "The only time they get a vacation is if they leave the county. They are always there to help."
