WOODS CROSS—Shooting sniper rifles with SWAT, putting on fire gear and running drills or looking through crime scene evidence, it’s all in a day’s work for participants in the Davis County Citizens Police Academy. Each night of the 16-week course is conducted by a different agency in the county that shares their expertise in law enforcement.

“Citizens get a look into what police do on a daily basis,” said Susan Barnes, assistant coordinator. “It opens up the lines of communication between citizens and the police and builds trust. Citizens get a better understanding of how law enforcement works and what they can and can’t do and helps them get involved in the community to reduce crime so we can work together with a common goal.”

The academy started in 2013, she said. “Stephanie Gonzales with the Woods Cross Police Department had taken the class in South Jordan and liked it so she wanted to bring it here. She bugged the chief and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Woods Cross partnered with the Davis County Sheriff’s Office and took turns at first.”

It was eight to 10 nights, said Barnes. “They went to other departments and let everybody in and then Layton jumped in.”

Each department takes a night and mostly sticks to their unique thing and what their strength is, she said. “Layton has a CSI lab and they have their own experts. The city attorney explains what happens with the justice system. We have the fire department do a night which is unique because most Citizens Academies don’t do that.”

“It’s absolutely amazing hands down,” said Kat Crockett who is in the class. “It gives you an appreciation for what our law enforcement does for us. Sometimes it’s overlooked how they love and protect us. It’s sad the name they’ve been given. My heart has a deeper appreciation for the ability they have to save and protect us in an unruly world.”

Crockett said she’s loved every single thing about the academy. “I am excited to be there. It’s the most amazing program I’ve ever done. I”ll be sad when it comes to an end. I’d love to keep going and keep learning.”  

Woods Cross Elementary Principal Buck Eckstrom is currently in the academy. “I’ve enjoyed all of the classes so far,” he said. “I look forward to every Thursday night.”

Eckstrom said one of the classes that stood out to him was the meeting with Davis County District Attorney Troy Rawlings. “I’ve always been interested in the law. He talked about different well-known cases and why they made the decisions they made. It was fascinating for me. I could have listened to him all day long.”  

SWAT was great, he said. “I served in the military so it brought back some good memories. At the Bountiful Police Department they had a scenario where we had to pull over a car. It was crazy. We had air-soft guns and the person in the car would jump out and pull a gun. We practiced reacting right away and had to make a split second decision. I love it.”

Emily Laws graduated from the program last fall and works with the alumni group. “I’ve always been interested in law enforcement,” she said. “I thought it was extremely informative about what takes place in the county. We worked with SWAT to clear a room and shoot a sniper rifle. We got hands-on experience. It was really fascinating.”

It was eye-opening, said Laws. “It shows how difficult the job is. It’s not just writing tickets, it's more than that. The officers were grateful we were there. They want the community to be involved. I’d do it again if they’d let me.” λ