Burning Issues Explored at Academy

Participants in the Grafton Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy learned about the inner workings of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF, during its April 21 class.

John Pijaca, a Grafton resident and ATF certified fire inspector, talked about the steps that investigators take to examine and explore fire scenes to determine the cause.

Citizens Police Academy participants were given a tour of the truck, based in Grafton, which is transported to fire and other disaster scenes throughout the region. 

They were also shown videos that graphically depicted how quickly fires can spread, especially when an accelerant is used.

The participants also learned from Jeff Cosgrove, an ATF financial investigator, about how examining financial records, although tedious at times, can piece together the circumstances that can prove whether a fire was intentionally set.

 Grafton Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy (CPA)  meets Thursday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Grafton Police Headquarters located at 28 Providence Road. There will be a total of 10 classes including graduation.

Each three-hour session will cover a variety of subjects including: Grafton Police history and tour of the police station, patrol procedures, search and seizure, special tactics, motor vehicle laws, accident reconstruction, drug identification/enforcement and trends, domestic violence, crime scene investigation, driving while intoxicated enforcement, firearms law/safety including range use and a tour of the Worcester County House of Correction.