Friday's Internet Edition, May 16, 2008.
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| Alice Boggs fires a fully automatic Copperas Cove Police Dept Machine Gun under the watchful eye of Officer Mike Gonzales. – Courtesy Photo |
News editor - The 15th class of the Copperas Cove Citizens Police Academy conducted "Range Day" on Saturday at the Killeen Police Firing range. The Academy, sponsored by the Copperas Cove Police Department, is a ten-week course designed to familiarize local citizens with the concepts and operations of the city police department. Range Day is the highlight for many of the students as they were given the opportunity to fire live rounds using actual police weapons in a safe, controlled environment.
Throughout the course, students are exposed to situations that city police, communications officers and civilian employees deal with on a daily basis. Classes are filled with realistic training including role-playing, mock crime scenes, and question and answer sessions with Copperas Cove SWAT, Crime Scene Investigators, Narcotics Enforcement, Traffic, and Animal Control personnel.
For many, the firing range was a new experience. "This was the first time I had ever fired a gun," said 64-year-old Erika Sikes, an alumni of the Academy.
"This was so much fun!! And I felt very comfortable and safe knowing the Police Officers were watching every move to ensure safety" she added.
Students were given the opportunity to fire standard issue pistols and automatic weapons. Alonzo and Maria Brown are one of two husband and wife teams attending the course. "Firing the machine gun was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for me," said Alonzo Brown.
Lt. Danny Austin of the Cove Police Dept is the primary instructor but is assisted by dozens of members of the Copperas Cove Police Force. Each week the students receive briefings and instruction on different aspects of the very complicated, fast paced, and often dangerous profession of Law Enforcement. "Even something a routine as a traffic stop involves dozens of separate actions which must be done in the proper sequence to ensure the rights of the citizen and the safety of the police officer," said Rick Herrera. Herrera and his wife Holly make up the second husband and wife team attending the course.
"This is really a terrific course," said John Moltz, another student. "I never realized that being a cop was so complex. I’ve learned to respect them even more than I did before". "It takes a tremendous amount of knowledge to make split second decisions every day," he added.
Graduates of the course usually join the Copperas Cove Police Academy Alumni Association, which donates time and energy to assisting the police department in various functions throughout the year. "We stay busy helping the understaffed police dept with routine functions like traffic control and community relations events" said Therese Lee, President of the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. "The association has been assisting the police department for over seven years", says founding member Anne Holley. "There is always more to do than we have people to do it with. We always need new members," she added
The 15th class of the Citizens Police Academy graduates on Nov. 19. All Cove citizens are encouraged to contact Lt Danny Austin of the CCPD at 547-4272 for information or to sign up for future classes.