The City of Westfield police headquarters located on Washington St. (WNG file photo)
WESTFIELD- The Westfield Police Department will be holding its 18th annual Citizen Police Academy starting January 29th at the police station on Washington Street.
The academy, which goes for 12 weeks, is meant to teach Westfield citizens what the day to day life of a police officer is like. There will be one three-hour class every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. The final class will be on April 16th.
“It’s a very modified police academy,” said Lieutenant Eric Hall, the program’s administrator, “we want the public know what we do on a day to day basis.”
Westfield residents and those who work within the city are welcome to apply. There are 16 total slots with many openings still available as long as the applicant meets a set of requirements. One must be at least 21 years old, live or work in Westfield, have no prior felony arrests, and have no misdemeanor arrests within the last two years. The program is free for those that are accepted.
“These classes are usually overwhelmingly filled with people who already sort of support the police department,” said Hall, “I usually encourage people who have a negative attitude towards police to attend. They may learn something.”
Each week, the officers will focus on a different topic relating to policework. Topics include finance crime, drug identification, defensive tactics and use of force, and child abuse and domestic violence among others. Different officers, dispatchers, and representatives of local courts will teach most of the classes.
There will be one week in which participants will go to a shooting range. A gun license is not necessary to attend, as each attendee will be under heavy supervision. An officer will be standing directly behind each person and holding onto their bulletproof vest as they fire downrange.
“When we have seconds to make a decision, we want people to understand the volume of things that go through our heads first,” said Hall.
Those interested in applying may do so at www.cityofwestfield.org. Any applications must be submitted by January 25th at 4 p.m. in order to be considered.
