Citizens Police Academy’s 20th year

Maj. Angie Huff, commander of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office 911 Center, was the guest speaker at the Citizens Police Academy’s Sept. 12 gathering. Maj. Huff spoke to participants about how the 911 Center operates and what dispatchers do to keep residents safe on a daily basis and in emergency situations.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office is currently about halfway through the 20th session of its Citizens Police Academy, a 10-week program designed to provide residents with the opportunity to learn more about what the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office do on a day-to-day basis to keep their community safe.

This year’s program, which kicked off Aug. 22 and will wrap up with a graduation ceremony on Oct. 24, is affording a few dozen residents with an inside look at the multiple aspects of police work.

Throughout the course of the annual program, Sheriff James Pohlmann said, participants hear from veteran representatives of each division of the Sheriff’s Office who speak on various phases of law enforcement, including patrol work, narcotics enforcement, detective duties, and SWAT team demonstrations.

“This course gives great insight on how and why things are handled in a certain manner,” Sheriff Pohlmann said.

This week, Maj. Angie Huff, commander of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office 911 Center, spoke to participants about how the 911 Center operates and what dispatchers do to keep residents safe on a daily basis and in emergency situations. She also gave participants advice on when it is appropriate to call 911 and when it’s best to call (504) 271-2501 instead.

Next week, participants will hear from members of the Field Operations Bureau Traffic Division and detectives with the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

The course is coordinated by Capt. Charles Borchers and Sgt. Eric Eilers. For more information, call Capt. Borchers at (504) 278-7628.