The Washington Township Police Department recently graduated 21 Logan County residents from the department’s very first five-week Citizens Academy.
During the Citizens Academy, the participants were able to learn what a day in the life of a Washington Township police officer is like and how their local criminal justice system operates.
Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Common Pleas Court explained how he operates the court and Bellefontaine Municipal Court Prosecutor Crystal Welsh explained how she represents the state and prosecutes misdemeanor offenses.
Logan County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers and corrections officers gave participants a tour of the jail and dispatch center and explained their important role in the criminal justice system.
Chief Michael Thompson showed the participants cruiser and body camera footage from various cases officers have been involved in. Then they were asked for their opinions and perspectives on how they would have handled the call for service.
Class members also learned about police equipment, K9 program, CPR and the day-to-day responsibilities of the police department.
The police chief also expressed appreciation to Dawson Construction and A&H Hose for their donations to help offset the costs of the academy.
Due to a large amount of interest, the Washington Township Police Department is exploring the idea of hosting a second citizens academy in the fall of 2023 and will post updates to their Facebook page.