The Dayton Police Department kicked off opening night of the department’s first Citizens Police Academy Tuesday night. City Manager Theo Melancon was on hand to welcome the participants to this community outreach program.
Various members of the Police Department staff who will be presenters in this program were introduced to the group and each participant introduced themselves and stated what they hoped to gain out of the class.
Captain John Coleman shared some historical information about the Dayton Police Department and Chief Vine provided information addressing some commonly held myths and misconceptions regarding police work. While the program is sponsored by the entire department, Officer David Meyers is performing the role as the program facilitator.
There were 19 citizens selected to participate in this first class, with 14 in attendance for the introductory class. This group is already comfortable with each other and is asking good questions and engaging in productive conversation with department staff.
This class will continue for eight weeks with participants meeting for three hours each week to receive instruction and information on a wide variety of topics related to the role and function of the police department.