PHOTO: Rainsville Police Chief Kevin Smith with recent Citizen's Police Academy graduates, Alex José, Saul José, Billy J. Whitt, Jeff Clements, and Betty Smith (Not Pictured: Denny Smith). (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Last week, the Rainsville Police Department concluded their second, "Citizens Police Academy." Participants will have completed the course once they take a ride along with a Rainsville Police Officer this week. Classroom instruction was concluded last Thursday after a review of the entire course.
Citizens Alex José, Saul José, Billy J. Whitt, Jeff Clements, Betty Smith, and Denny Smith all participated in the class. As part of the curriculum, students learned constitutional law, narcotics, crime scene procedures, patrol, and other aspects of local law enforcement. Students even took part in a mock investigation and mock traffic stop.
Earlier this year, Chief Smith started the "Citizen's Police Academy" to give the public the opportunity to learn more about what local law enforcement deal with on a daily basis. The class not only promotes awareness for the adversity officers face on the job, but also gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn in an interactive way how these duties are performed.
For the crime scene and investigation portion, a crime scene was set up at the Rainsville Police Station. Participants first had to secure the scene, collect evidence, and interview witnesses. In the mock crime, two friends were working on remodeling a house and one friend had his infant son at the worksite. The infant was found deceased, and the students had to determine what took place based on interviews and evidence.
Smith started the course shortly after being appointed as Rainsville's Police Chief. Smith has years worth of experience conducting police work with local agencies as well as an investigator in Tennessee. Through starting the "Citizen's Police Academy," he sought to educate the public on complex policing procedures and disprove misconceptions promoted through media.
"There is a lot of negativity and mistruths about police officers out there, and through the Citizen's Police Academy we have a chance to get the truth out. Over the last several years, law enforcement has received a lot of flak in the media, and many do not understand the difficulties officers face," said Smith.
"Many students begin the class having been fed misinformation regarding constitutional laws and how to deal with interactions with law enforcement through popular media. This is our second graduating class, and we plan on conducting more in the future," he said.
If you are interested in participating in the next "Citizen's Police Academy," follow the Rainsville Police Department on Facebook or check the department's new website: https://rainsvillepd.wixsite.com/rainsvillepd for class dates and how to enroll.
The next event coming up for the Rainsville Police Department will be their first annual Police Department Ball on Saturday, November 11 in the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center. The event will be from 6 to 10 pm, and will serve as a fundraiser for the department to buy new equipment. Tickets are $25 per person, and the event will feature food and a D.J. Those interested in attending may stop by the Rainsville Police Department for tickets.
