Bloomfield Township Police Citizens Academy Has Openings

The Bloomfield Township Police Department is still accepting applications for its second Citizens' Academy set to begin on Jan. 24. The group of 30 selected will spend one night a week for seven weeks learning the ins-and-outs of how police officers do their jobs and how all facets of the department operate.

Classes will take place each Tuesday night from 6-9:30 p.m. at the department headquarters. The course is free of charge and open to the public, however, township residents and business owners will have priority enrollment.

Topic areas include:

• Police Patrol and Administration
• Evidence collection and processing
• Police traffic enforcement and accident investigation
• K-9 operations and training
• Police radio communications
• CPR and AED training

With the public safety millage up for a vote in November 2012, this could be the closest look residents will get at the inner workings of the department and the men and women that make it work.

"We learned a lot and heard some great stories that never appear in the official police reports," said Tom Russell, a graduate of last year's inaugural academy, in a township news release. "Most of us know, in general, what police officers do, but by taking these classes we got to personally meet some of them and put faces and names with uniforms and duties."

An application is available in the attached PDF or on the township's website. Contact Officer Pete Matejcik for more information at 248-433-7724 or pmatejcik@bloomfieldtwp.org.