West Hartford Police to Host Citizens Police Academy

By Ted Glanzer

The West Hartford Police Department will host a Citizens Police Academy starting in September, according to Town Manager Ron Van Winkle.

The academy will be held on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., although the exact date on which the academy will start is still unknown, Van Winkle told the Town Council on Tuesday.

The purpose of the academy is to show people what goes into actual police work, including lectures and hands-on experiences in areas such as  accident investigation, crime scene analysis, community policing and canine service, Van Winkle said.

“We aren’t ‘CSI’,” said Van Winkle, referencing the popular television show that airs on CBS. “What we see on TV isn’t how the police really work.”

Town Councilor Judy Casperson said that she attended a citizens police academy in her former neighborhood.

“It was a great experience to see what police officers go through,” she said.