Citizens' Police Academy: Week One

Yes, I was a dropout.

No, I was not a high school dropout. I was a get-me-out-of-this-criminal-justice-class-right-this-second dropout.

During my senior year at Pen Argyl Area High School, one of the electives I chose was criminal justice. I lasted maybe two days before heading -- more like running -- to my guidance counselor’s office to beg for my release from the class.

He conceded and created an elective for me -- band, to be exact -- so I’d have enough credits to graduate. That’s right. I chose band over criminal justice. Don’t judge.

Now three years out of college and a few credits toward my master’s degree later, I have found myself back in a criminal justice-type class. I don’t know where she lives or if she reads Nazareth Patch, but I can hear my English / criminal justice teacher laughing -- loudly.

That said, I will not be asking my boss to release me from this “class.” This time around, things are a bit more interesting -- and hands on, which is the key to keeping the attention of Nazareth Patch’s editor.

I attended my first day of the at headquarters Wednesday night.

The first day felt a little bit like… well… the first day of school. We were given a few ground rules and Police Chief Roy Seiple gave a presentation on how Colonial Regional Police came to be, and how the department operates 16 years later.

I knew that presentation like the back of my hand since I’ve covered Nazareth Borough Council meetings for Nazareth to -- eventually -- contract services from Colonial Regional.

I did learn a lot of new things, however.

We were given a grand tour of the department’s headquarters, which:

• Is extremely bulletproof.
• Is extremely secure. There’s no escaping, folks.
• Has several items bolted down. If you ever find yourself in an interview room, don’t try to throw the table. It's just not going to happen.
• Has really uncomfortable-looking holding cells. The mattress is... nonexistent... And the sound of the doors closing is enough to make you want to stay on the straight-and-narrow path.
• Is rather quiet. You won’t find any police officers lingering in the hallways. They’re out on patrol and only at the department if they truly need to do something, like bring in a bad guy (or woman), or do paperwork.

During our tour, we saw all of the items each Colonial Regional police vehicle is equipped with. Each vehicle is identical on the inside so an officer can switch vehicles without hesitation.

I also had the opportunity to hold and check out a bulletproof vest that each officer on duty wears -- all the time -- and I held another vest that's used during raids. I'm pretty sure it weighs more than I do.

According to Seiple, an officer weighs about 35 pounds more when they're dressed in full gear and ready for work.

We also got the lowdown on the various grades of crimes in Pennsylvania. This presentation was given by Deputy Chief James DePalma, and I found the information really useful.

Before Patch I worked in public relations at Northampton Community College. I never had to read a criminal complaint before -- only a traffic ticket or two... or three...

I'll admit that I made a few mistakes while stumbling my way through my first few criminal complaints, but that's how you learn. I like to think I mastered the art of reading criminal complaints, but now I have more of an understanding of what "F1" or "M2" means for the accused.

At the end of our first day, we signed up for a day at the range and a ride along. I won't be hitting the shooting range until Nov. 6, but my ride along will be on Friday, Oct. 28 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. I'm not sure if I'll last the full 12 hours -- a regular shift for a Colonial Regional officer -- but I'll certainly give it my best shot.

Next Wednesday, Oct. 12, we will be learning about DUIs and crash investigations.

Bring it on!