I graduated!

I am officially a Citizens Police Academy graduate! After 10 weeks of 3 hour classes, once a week the academy came to an end. While graduation's are usually a time for excitement, I am definitely disappointed that it's all over.
I've always respected police officers, but being part of the Citizens Police Academy (CPA) made me respect them even more. Each class involved a behind-the-scenes look at the duties and lifestyles of an Abilene Police Officer. Cops often have a negative reputation of being the bad guys, arresting people. And while, they do arrest people, it's all in effort to keep our communities safe.
Throughout the class, cops were referred to as, "Peace Officers," and I realized how perfect that suited their job description. They try to keep the peace by having a presence in the community and then make peace when conflicts do arise.
I can honestly say that I enjoyed every class. I can still recall 3 hour night classes in college (and no offense, Professors) but, sometimes it was hard to stay awake for all 3 of those hours. I would've been too afraid to fall asleep within CPA; afraid I'd miss something. : )
I thought I had a tough job (and still do) but man, those police officers really have huge responsibility.
While I mentioned, I liked all of the classes, by far my favorites were the investigation unit, the narcotics, and the k-9 training. I've been told that the SWAT training class was the best and unfortunately, I had to miss that class. It also happened to be our last, which was quite a bummer.
Luckily, my co-worker Tim Johnston (also in CPA) put together a story for the 10 o'clock news that allowed me to feel as if I were there for the SWAT training class.
Another great thing about the class were my classmates. There were about 25 other students, from all different aspects from within the community. We had some Dr.'s, Teachers, Council members, Restaurant Owners, City Employees, and so many others. Everyone was great. We all got along really well too. So not only am I appreciate of the Abilene Police Department for providing me with the opportunity to be a part of CPA, but also for introducing me to such great people within the community. : )