Go Behind the Scenes With Owensboro PD Citizen Academy

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a police officer with the Owensboro Police Department? Now is your chance to get a behind the scenes look.

A couple of years ago, I participated in a ride-along with an Owensboro Police Officer. It started off really eventful with a car stuck on the train tracks, but was mostly us driving around listening to WBKR and me asking questions in between stops. The stops consisted of the officer helping resolve issues among some juveniles, helping an unhoused couple figure out where to spend the night, and assisting a bilingual driver find his way.

You may have pre-conceived notions about what law enforcement does during their shifts. Or maybe you've considered becoming an officer to serve the community. You can see for yourself what it is like in the upcoming Citizen's Academy session this August. According to OPD's website, here are some of things you'll get to learn and experience over the nine week course:

"Tour of OPD Headquarters
Patrol Operations
Hiring Process
Training
Accreditation
Professional Standards
Criminal Investigations
Polygraph
Narcotics
Hazardous Material Recovery
D.U.I. – portable breath test/intoxilyzer
Arrest/Handcuffing Procedures
Officer Safety
Dispatch – Codes & Signals
Street Crimes – Surveillance Equipment, Undercover Operations
OPD Firing Range – Firearms Demonstration
Emergency Response Team – Dynamic Entry, Rappelling
K-9 Officer – Training, Capabilities, Demonstration"

You must be over the age of 18, have no past felony convictions, and take a little time to fill out the application before August 1st which you can find here. Either return it to Sgt Loren Yonts via e-mail, snail mail, or by dropping off at the front desk.