Applications are open through the end of the February for any Rowan County resident over the age of 18 who would like to participate in the Morehead Police Department’s new Citizens Police Academy. The program’s first class will meet on March 11.
Morehead Police Chief Derrick Blevins said the department created the program to give people a better understanding of Rowan County’s police force.
“There’s some things that by state law that we cannot arrest for, and a lot of the public, they just don’t understand that. So, they think that somehow their police department is potentially failing them in some way, and really, we’re following state law. So, just to educate the public a little bit,” said Blevins.
The academy is 10 weeks long. Class meets every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will receive a certificate at a graduation ceremony when the program ends.
Blevins said the academy won’t just focus on the police department.
“I know there’s going to be a couple nights that it’s going to kind of showcase other parts of the city government. The fire department’s going to have a night that they can come in and explain the everyday ins and outs of their job, you know, run numbers, the type of things they’re facing, needs or challenges that they have, stuff like that,” said Blevins.
Blevins said students will have the opportunity to learn from and ask questions of other city departments. Special Response Team, or SRT, and EMT are a few of the divisions that will speak with the class.
Students will also learn about Kentucky Revised Statutes, Traffic Enforcement and Collision reconstruction, and more.
Applications close on February 28. The police department will not accept late submissions. The application form can be found at morehead-ky.gov.