KENTWOOD, Mich. — The Kentwood Police Department is set to reintroduce its Citizens Academy next month, having previously suspended the program due to a staffing shortage.
The department aims to improve community engagement and transparency with this initiative.
The Youth Academy, currently underway, is part of the department's efforts to educate the younger generation about the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement officers.
It provides participants with insights into real-life scenarios that officers may encounter. Sgt. Alex Carey highlighted the comprehensive learning experience, saying, "They've learned about our SRT, our special response team, so they've kind of got the gamut of whole or kind of how the department works."
As the Youth Academy concludes, the Citizens Academy is set to begin on Wednesday, September 3rd, going until October 8th. It will take place from 6 p.m to 9 p.m., every Wednesday.
Carey has emphasized interactive sessions covering various facets of police work, including use of force, special response teams, and drug detection operations.
"My team's goal is to make [it] as interactive as possible," he said.
The initiative aims to explain the rationale behind police procedures and policies. "We want to be able to explain to people why we do the things the way we do," Carey stated.
The department is also focused on recruiting new officers, with a millage passed earlier this year that could bring in up to 15 new officers.
Carey views this expansion as critical, noting that it would "decrease response time" and "have more officers out in the city where they can quickly respond."
The academy serves as a venue for the department to gather community feedback and foster transparency, with Carey adding, "also to gain community input on what we could be doing better [and] remain open and transparent."
Enrollment is open for the Citizens Academy. Interested participants can fill out an application on the Kentwood Police Department's website.
