PHOTO: Rainsville Police Chief Kevin Smith conducts a review at the final classroom session of the second . (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — The Rainsville Police Department is now accepting applications for their third Citizen's Police Academy. The first class will be held on February 6, 2018 at 6 pm at the Rainsville Police Department.
To take part in the class you must be at least 18 years old and not have a criminal history (Felony or drug convictions). Applicants must fill out an application at the Rainsville Police Department before January 31, 2018 to enroll.
As part of the curriculum, students will receive classroom instruction on 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.
For the crime scene and investigation portion, a crime scene is set up at the Rainsville Police Station. Participants first had to secure the scene, collect evidence, and interview witnesses.
Around a year ago, Rainsville Police 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.
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," Smith explained.
"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.
