After a two-year hiatus, the El Dorado Police Department is reviving its Citizens Police Academy to offer local residents a firsthand look into the job that law enforcement officers do every day.
Classes begin April 14 and will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. each Tuesday for 10 weeks. There will also be a voluntary Saturday session in which students will have the opportunity to visit the EPD's shooting range on South Jackson Avenue and participate in a variety of training exercises, said Police Chief Kenny Hickman.
Hickman served as an instructor for several installments of the CPA after it was launched in 2013 by now-Lt. Chris Lutman and Hickman said he will resume his role discussing Constitutional Law — particularly, the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets requirements for issuing warrants — for the 2020 academy.
"There is a misconception that we as police officers do what we want to do when we want to do it and that's not the case. We've got boundaries — federal, state and city laws govern what we do," the police chief said. "Instead of allowing a misunderstanding, the Citizens Police Academy gives us an opportunity to bring people in so they can see how we do things and why we do things."
When Hickman was appointed police chief in late January of 2019, he said one of his first thoughts was the CPA, which had not been held since 2017. He said there was not enough time to prepare for a spring installment of the academy when he assumed his new position as police chief.
"I said, 'I want to do this again,'" Hickman said, adding that he vowed to do so after gaining his bearings in his role as the leader of the EPD.
The goal of the CPA is "to expose students to the functions of law enforcement while learning from our community representatives."
Expounding on the mission statement, Hickman said, "It's important for us to establish an understanding and a rapport within the city where we work and with the citizens in it. We operate on expenses that are tax-based, so the community has a right to be brought inside."
As with previous CPAs, each class session will focus on a different topic.
Participants will learn about and get practical experience in various aspects of police work, including firing paint-ball rounds with weapons similar to those used by officers, canine (K9) training, investigating mock crime scenes, professional standards for law enforcement officers, criminal law, ride-alongs and SWAT training.
Using the Multiple Interactive Learning Objectives (MILO) training simulator, students will get a first-person perspective of high-intensity situations that officers often encounter and learn what it is like to have to assess a situation and make what could be a life-altering a decision in seconds.
"It puts everything on a big screen and sometimes, it can present dangers. You get to see how things unfold and how you have to make second-by-second decisions. Of course, there's no real danger. Sometimes it's funny," Hickman said.
He also said students will view videos of real-life situations and discuss the legalities of those cases and how they stack up against existing laws.
Hickman said class sizes have averaged 15 to 20 students, representing all ages from a cross-section of the community.
The largest CPA class reached 26 students in 2016 and Hickman said he is hoping for a bigger turnout in April.
Enrollment for the CPA is underway. Applications may be picked up at and submitted to EPD headquarters, 402 N. West Ave., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The deadline to submit applications is 4 p.m. April 3.
Applicants must:
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Live or work within El Dorado city limits.
• Have no prior felony arrests.
• Have had no serious misdemeanor arrests within the last two years.
• Commit to participating in at least 70% of CPA classes.
There are no minimum physical requirements to participate in the course and students will not be required to "do anything they do not wish to do."
A background check will also be conducted for applicants.
The CPA does not certify participants to be law enforcement officers. Hickman said three CPA students went on to become officers with the EPD, noting they are no longer with the department.
The class is free and a graduation ceremony will be held for students at the end of the 10-week course.
Hickman encouraged local residents to sign up for the CPA.
"I've found that it's very, very rewarding. One thing that's very rewarding is the feedback we get from people who've gone through the academy. A common response that I hear is, 'We had no idea,'" he said. "We're asking for honest feedback to be put up against a grid."
"Our officers put a lot into it and they understand the value of it. We've had really great participation. It's a lot of fun," he continued.
For more information, contact Lutman at 870-863-4141, Ext. 120, 870-881-4820 or [email protected]. Also, contact Officer Gerid Ardwin at 870-881-4810, Ext. 116 or [email protected].