Paragould, Arkansas – Greene County people get the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a police officer thanks to the Paragould Police Department.
Citizens Police Academy is a service provided by the department. Residents will discover what a cop goes through every day as well as the difficulties they encounter throughout a six-week session.
The K9 unit, Criminal Investigation Department, Street Crimes Unit, and Traffic Unit, among other agencies, will come in to demonstrate what their roles entail, according to Captain Jason Elms of the Paragould Police Department.
“We as police officers, we want to be as transparent as can be and this is one of the ways that we can do that, is by allowing them to come to this class and to see what it is like to be a police officer,” he said.
Citizens will also be required to think like officers in situations that are included in the academy.
“Some of these scenarios, they’ve got to make some quick decisions really fast, just like we do on a daily basis, so again, it gives a quick look at what it’s like to be a police officer,” he said.
The application process is still open.
The class will begin on September 19 and run for six weeks.