Rochester Police honor Citizen's Academy participants

Caption for photo: Front, Erin Watt; 2nd row, Jennifer Montgomery, Tracy Craig, Sarah Knowlton, Bernard Metcalf; 3rd Row, Deputy Chief Paul Toussaint, Kimberly Watt, Ed Reilly, Laurie Harrison, Brian Lemelin, Lea Dill, Gloria Williams, Kyle Quirion; 4th Row, Donald Williams, Richard Pedrick, Chief Allen, Steven Quirion

ROCHESTER - On Tuesday evening the Rochester Police Department held a certificate ceremony for 16 participants who completed the 2016 Rochester Police Citizen's Academy. The academy, which is a 10 week initiative hosted by the police department, runs from March to May each year.

The program helps introduce citizens to the inner workings of the agency allowing them to better understand the behind the scenes activity that goes into being a modern, progressive law enforcement agency.

Classes are held one night each week over this 10 week span and each week covers a new topic. Topics include; a department overview, patrol and support divisions, prosecution, dispatch, K-9, traffic enforcement, the Comp Stat process, Rochester United Neighborhoods (R.U.N.), youth programs, Strafford County Tactical Team, Strafford County Accident Reconstruction Team, and use of force among others. Participants also complete observations in the dispatch center and ride-alongs with patrol officers to see what a typical shift entails for department personnel. In addition participants also get to be involved in use of force training which includes live fire exercises and trying out the department's use of force and driving simulator.

Chief Allen, Deputy Chief Toussaint and members of the department took time out to thank all of this year's participants for taking an interest in the Rochester Police Department.