Night one of the Citizen Police Academy program in Albany

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) — The latest crime statistics in Albany show an increase in shootings and casualties. Arrests and firearm recoveries are also up. NEWS10 visited the Citizen Police Academy in Albany as a new training program was launched there to see how community policing can make a difference here.

Wednesday evening is the first night of the 12-week Citizen Police Academy Program at the Albany Police Academy. Applicants must attend 75% of the courses to graduate.

“We have a record number of participants signed up for this,” said academy instructor Sergeant Steve Sayre.

A total of 40 people have signed up for the program, which has been running for nearly two decades. “This is really one of our most exciting programs. We get to meet with members of our community face-to-face, tell them what we do, and dispel some misconceptions about what people think about the police. But it also gives us a chance to get to know them a lot better. That’s great,” said Police Chief Eric Hawkins.

The police chief says there are many benefits to community policing and the program is designed to provide a real hands-on opportunity. “They get the opportunity to attend a demonstration with our canine officers and see how these animals work. You know, they help us in so many different ways. They’re part of our family. They’re a less lethal way of helping us arrest bad people and get them off the streets. And when they see our mounted unit, they get the opportunity to go out on the farm and see these beautiful animals and see how they help us with crowd control and community events,” Hawkins said.

He also says this is a great way to recruit new officers since the number of officers is lower than desired. “This is a great way for us to recruit members of our community and if they are not interested, they have sons or daughters or nephews or nieces or friends or relatives who might be interested and they can spread the word and tell them about the police department and how great it is to work here,” the police chief explained.

He says crime numbers have gone up, but his officers are trying to make a real difference. “It gives us an opportunity to really get to know our community a lot better. Our community gets to know us a lot better. And that really helps drive down crime numbers. But it also helps us deal with the fear or perception of crime.”

Some participants NEWS10 reporter James De La Fuente spoke with said they were determined to learn more, some for the benefit of others and some for their own career goals.

“I’ve always had an interest in joining the police force, so I think it would be interesting to take part in the hands-on training they offer to get a head start and a feel for what you can learn in a police academy. And also to better understand what police officers go through on a daily basis and what kind of training they receive,” said course participant Thomas Bridgeford.

“I teach forensics to a lot of students who want to go into law enforcement, trying to better prepare them to answer their questions so they can become police officers or whatever path they take in the criminal justice system,” says local high school teacher Adrienne Ladd.

Some said they simply wanted a better relationship with the police. “I hope that I feel a little safer talking to the police or approaching them when there is an issue that may not be critical but is important,” said participant Maureen Harmon.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan praises the program, which has been in existence for decades, saying, “The Citizens Police Academy is an important community program of the Albany Police Department aimed at educating citizens about police training, policies and procedures necessary to keep our community safe. I look forward to seeing our newest class work with our officers and expand their understanding of what Albany Police Department law enforcement officers do every day.”