Guns, Tasers and K9s, Oh My! Join the Bonney Lake Police Citizen's Academy

Do you have a closet fascination with law enforcement? Do shows like CSI and Law and Order get your blood pumping? Do you live or work in Bonney Lake?

Consider signing up for the Bonney Lake Police Department Citizen's Academy, a free, 7-week crash course in the criminal justice system.

BLPD’s Citizen's Academy will meet twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) beginning March 20. The classes, a mix of classroom lectures and demonstrations, are designed to introduce students to all aspects of police work.

BLPD Officer Todd Green, one of the Academy ‘Professors,’ shared his course outline with Patch, and it looks – pardon the caps – AWESOME.

So, what’s on the agenda?

• K9 Demonstrations
• Firearms Simulator
• Mock Arrests
• Traffic Stops
• Public Safety Building Tour (ask to get locked in a holding cell!)
• Bomb Squad Demonstrations
• Metro Swat Team Demonstrations
• State Patrol Bomb Squad Demonstrations
• DUI Enforcement (Walk the line!)
• Vehicle Pursuits
• Narcotics Education
• Auto Task Force
• Taser Demonstrations
• Marine Services Unit
• Patrol Procedures 101
• 9-11 Communications Center Tour
• Dinner (Time to celebrate!)

Honestly, these are just some of the highlights. After the 7-week course, students will be more knowledgeable on all aspects of the criminal justice system.

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Eligible students for the BLPD Citizen’s Academy must live or work in Bonney Lake, have a valid driver’s license and no felony convictions or outstanding warrants.

Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning March 20. There will also be a Saturday class for a firearms simulator and emergency vehicle operations.

You can pick up a Citizen’s Academy application form at the Bonney Lake Police Department in the Public Safety Building, or apply online at www.citybonneylake.org.

If you have any questions, please contact BLPD Officer Sean Flaherty at 253-863-2218 or email him at flahertys@ci.bonney-lake.wa.us.