Reporter by Day...Cop at Night

Citizen's Police Academy...what's that? That's what I said, until I was asked by MaryAnn Martin with AISD to be part of it.

Here in Abilene, they offer a unique 10 week course that shows you the "behind the scenes" stuff that our local police officers go through here in Abilene.

There are 26 of us in the class and we all come from entirely different work backgrounds. Media personnel are often chosen to be part of this academy because police feel that we could benefit from more insight into their careers, since we often work together.

We've only had two classes so far and I am very intrigued. Specifically by one of the female police officers who is one tough gal. You can tell she definitely holds her rank within the Abilene Police Department and is well-respected. When people think of police officers, they often think of men. So, I admire her and the tough job she has.

Last night's class was really interesting. We learned all about the Narcotics Division. I was amazed at just how many drug seizures go on right here in Abilene. They told us about some crazy run-in's with drug dealers and prostitutes.

We have lots of fun and exciting classes to look forward to within the Police Academy, such as shooting guns and learning about the K-9 unit.

It's also just interesting to interact with cops in the classroom setting instead of on the streets covering a story.

I think I am going to learn a lot about Abilene just by learning from the Abilene Police Department. It's also been a great tool to network with other members of the community, who are also students in the class.