The Moose Jaw Police Service is hosting its Community Police Academy program once again this year, bringing in just over a dozen interested members of the community to see what all goes into a day of policing.
For six weeks, Academy attendees are treated to question-and-answer opportunities from a number of MJPS departments, including the K9 Unit, Forensics, Traffic Safety, and detectives who work on drug and organized crime cases, among others.
There’s also a chance to tour the precinct — including the holding cells downstairs and the firearm practice range — and participate in a ride-along with one of the program’s two hosting officers, Cst. Kyle Cunningham and Cst. Rod Zoerb.
“Our ride-alongs can be really cool. People have been able to come out and see some pretty cool things, kind of be on the ground floor force on our ride-alongs,” said Zoerb. “Those can be hit or miss, depending on the night.”
Each week’s session offers a unique chance to see the many details that go into day-to-day police work — from the MJPS call centre, to arrest and initial processing, to examining forensic evidence, and even on to victim support and services.
“This is all things that we do,” said Cunningham. “We’re a smaller service, but there are still things that we do that people don’t always realize, that we have some special units and some people with special skillsets, and this way we are able to share those with the public.”
“I think every time you come out, we’ll give you a pretty good idea of all the different divisions within the police office, everything that’s going on,” said Zoerb.
The Community Police Academy course has been running for over a decade, and Cst. Cunningham and Cst. Zoerb brought the program back about five years ago. They find that there’s always plenty of community members interested in taking part.
“It’s nice to have everyone come in and see the inner workings of the Police Service. We don't get to show off or tell people what we do very often,” said Zoerb. “It’s great when people take a genuine interest in what we’re doing, and they’re always appreciative, coming into the Police Academy.”
The purpose of the program is not only to create a buzz of interest regarding police work — and maybe inspire some future law enforcement workers — but also to provide information about the goings-on at MJPS.
“It gives the individuals who take part in this course a first-hand look at who we are and what we’re all about, and I think that’s important to give people that opportunity,” said Cunningham. “In American media and in movies, they show what policing is all about, but in a smaller city, on a smaller scale, we do things differently and I think we do things right.”
The Community Police Academy began on Oct. 8, treating attendees to two very different kinds of dogs working within the service — Kane, a PADS intervention dog who works in Victim Services, and PSD True, one of four dogs working with the K9 Unit.
The next few weeks will feature more interesting topics, including firearms, forensics, future careers, as well as presentations from departments who deal with drugs, organized crime, and traffic infractions.
The Moose Jaw Express has been invited to attend the upcoming Community Police Academy sessions, so keep an eye out for more features about each of these departments in the MJPS.
