The Great Falls Police Department will host its Citizens Academy next month, offering residents a behind-the-scenes look at police work and an opportunity to build stronger community relationships.
The free program, limited to 30 participants, is designed to give citizens firsthand experience with various aspects of law enforcement operations.
"We only have 30 seats available. Spots are starting to fill up. The class is free," said Clay Bott, special projects officer for the Citizens Academy.
Program covers multiple police divisions
The academy provides participants with exposure to different departments within the police force, according to Bott.
"We cover general case, which is part of our detectives Special Victims Unit and, more detectives, general patrol, high risk unit. Every different aspect of our police department," Bott said.
Corey Pierce, general manager of Alias Smith and Jones Pawn, participated in the academy in 2012 and recalls his most memorable experiences.
"The ride along was probably the the best thing about the whole, the whole academy, because you got to actually hands on see how, what they have to deal with and how they have to interact with the public. And then, the Taser Day is the best," Pierce said.
Building positive police-community relationships
Bott said he finds satisfaction in watching participants' perspectives evolve throughout the program.
"It's really fun to see people come in. They may not have a positive view of the department, and we give them a chance to see what we actually do here, how we work, and why we do things a certain way. People get to leave more educated," Bott said.
The program has successfully transformed some participants' views of law enforcement. Bott shared one particularly impactful example.
"We had an individual come through a few years ago that when he started, he wasn't necessarily completely anti-police, but he wasn't a huge fan. He decided to take the class to see what things were actually like. Now he's a volunteer, he helps out, and he's a good spokesman for us in the community," Bott said.
Pierce emphasized the department's commitment to transparency and community engagement.
"They provide a huge service to this community. They do. They're very open about everything. They want you to ask questions. They really want to express and show how much that that community means to them," Pierce said.
Applications for the Citizens Academy are available on the GFPD website.
