Class Topics: Truancy and 911

The San Bernardino City Police Department and their Community Affairs division are continuing in their mission of fostering positive community relations and informing citizens. Since 2010, the Community Police Academy has facilitated an open forum concerning all aspects of law enforcement, engaging about 500 community members to date. On Feb. 5, the Community Police Academy kicked off its 10th class (the llth to be held later this year), which will run weekly Wednesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. through Mar. 26 at the San Bernardino City Police Department. Acting Chief of Police, Jarrod Burguan, welcomed some 50 attendees including: ∙Concerned parents ∙Teachers ∙Youth mentors ∙Criminal justice students ∙Property managers ∙Business owners ∙and Neighborhood Watch representatives, to name a few. Retired Air Force and former ambulance driver, Michael Walsh, has been a resident since 1976. "Times are changing; when I drove an ambulance 35 years ago, drugs were present, but the prevalence of guns has changed things." Concerned mother, Alicia Cazenave, stated, "I'm a lifelong San Bernardino resident. I love my city. I know that we are going through some tough times. I want to know what I can do to contribute to the safety and security of this city. As an African-American woman with three sons, I am concerned about officer involved shootings. I want to learn everything I can so that I can take this information back to our community. All too frequently, it's shoot first and worry about a law suit later." According to Community Affairs Officer Araceli Mata, topics of study will include: ∙911 Police Dispatch ∙School police departments ∙K9 Enforcement ∙Local services, such as the Fire Dept. and Animal Control ∙Code Enforcement, and much more. Each presentation is followed by extensive Q&A. Presentations were delivered by San Bernardino City Unified School District, Chief of Police, Joseph Paulino, and 911 Police Dispatcher, Joe Goff. Chief Paulino encouraged participants to let residents know that if they see or know of kids being truant, that they should call school dispatch at (909)388-6130. Joe Goff, 911 Police Dispatcher, shared that in 2012, he and his 22 dispatchers and 6 trainees handled over half a million calls. For that reason, Goff's PowerPoint presentation discussed all things 911, including: ∙What happens when you call 911 ∙When to call 911 ∙How 911 calls are prioritized, and much more. "If you need an officer, but it is not an emergency," Goff encouraged residents to call (909)383-5311. Perhaps the most fitting statement to illustrate the intent of the Community Police Academy was articulated by Chief Paulino, quoting his hero, Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."