Whitewater residents participate in ‘Citizen Academy’
By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
First hand experiences with local police are often limited for most Whitewater residents.
Those experiences include seeing officers on patrol – perhaps along a parade route or at Cravath Lakefront Park during Fourth of July activities – or talking with an officer regarding a driving violation.
In many cases, their ideas about police work are shaped by the portrayal of law enforcement in television shows, brief video clips on news reports, and movies, and on social media platforms – each of which can be an unrealistic or very incomplete way to understanding law enforcement today.
During the Whitewater Police Department’s “Citizen Academy” earlier this year, several local residents had the opportunity to augment their knowledge about the work of police officers and others who support their efforts on a daily basis during six four-hour sessions.
Officer Michele Martin was instrumental in organizing the Academy this year as she has been in the past.
While acknowledging that the “base value” of the Academy is to foster relationships between the department and the community, she added, “There is much more going on than just that.”
“The Citizen Academy gives community members an idea of how stressful and demanding this job can be. While the stress of liability, crazy schedules, difficult calls, etc., can be negative, I hope the Academy also shows there are a lot of positives, too.”
Deputy Joshua Adams from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department was invited to demonstrate working with a dog as a member of a K-9 unit.
“The biggest advantage to hosting a mini academy for the community members is so they can have a first-hand look and experience of what law enforcement is tasked with on a daily basis,” he said.
Read more about the academy in the May 21 Whitewater Register.
