Citizen’s Police Academy offers residents opportunity to learn about LPD

While many Liberty University students basked on beaches over spring break, 29 Lynchburg residents began a six-week journey with Lynchburg Police Department’s (LPD) Citizen’s Police Academy.

The academy takes place at the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy on Church Street in downtown Lynchburg. Instructors cover a variety of topics, including traffic safety, use of force and citizen’s rights, among others. 

Cindy Kozerow, a crime prevention specialist with LPD’s Community Action Team (CAT), said the academy is not designed to teach attendees how to do police work. Rather, it is an educational opportunity to understand the difficulties of police work and “why police do what they do.”

“Having gone through this course helps dispel some of the myths people have about the police,” Kozerow, who went through the academy herself, said. “I think that’s very important.” 

Emma Smith | Liberty Champion
Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema welcomed attendees and shared basic information about LPD during the first CPA class March 14.

Interested parties must apply for the academy online and pass a background check to be accepted into an academy class. While there is currently only one class offered in the spring, Kozerow said the department occasionally offers fall courses as well. 

“We have a diverse group, which is great. … I think what we’re trying to do — these days with … the media and some of the spins on police — (the Citizen’s Police Academy) is such a huge opportunity to again educate our city on how we’re serving them. … We’re serving and protecting,” Sgt. Jeff Rater, who works with LPD’s CAT team, said.

Of the 29 students in the CPA class, several said they were attending because they want to pursue careers in law enforcement, others were family members of current LPD officers, and some wanted to learn more about local policing as a result of being part of Neighborhood Watch programs. 

“I want to see what it takes to be an officer and the procedures,” Kayla Snow, 19, said.

Snow said she goes on ride-alongs with a friend who works for the department, and she plans to apply to be an officer in May. Another attendee, Gregg Rinkle, said he wanted to be an officer when he was younger but never explored opportunities. Now, he hopes to learn how the police department works. 

Two major topics covered in the academy are traffic safety and citizen rights. Kozerow explained traffic safety is highlighted because it is something citizens encounter every day and often involves more than citizens understand.

“(The traffic safety simulation) is a lot of fun, but I think it’s one of the most eye-opening things,” Kozerow said. 

Section 46.2-921.1 of the Code of Virginia states, “Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways.” 

Kozerow said citizens often do not understand the danger of failing to follow this law, often called the Move Over law. During traffic stops, the stopped driver can often feel their car shaking from fellow motorists who fail to move over before passing by.

“Now, think about standing outside of the vehicle performing a traffic stop while (cars fly past),” Kozerow said.

Rater also said the academy will focus on the “Know Your Rights” presentation created by LPD. The presentation was originally created after the NAACP reached out to Rater to educate Lynchburg youth on police interaction. Currently, the CAT is still working to get the curriculum into Lynchburg City Schools, and Rater hopes members of the CAT team will be able to present the information to students and act out scenarios to help them gain a greater understanding of their rights. 

“(‘Know Your Rights’) covers everything from interactions with the police — the dos and the don’ts. I remember when I got my driver’s license, nobody ever told me what to do when I was pulled over by the police,” Rater said. “We’re really going to ramp that up this year.”  

Emma Smith | Liberty Champion
The Citizen’s Police Academy takes place at the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy.

In addition, the presentation covers information on filing complaints against officers as part of LPD’s commitment to holding officers accountable to the law. Officers are equipped with body cameras, and citizens are encouraged to file complaints if they believe they have been treated unfairly, among other accountability measures. 

“Even if you think you are in the right, and you are like, ‘This is ridiculous. What’s this guy doing?’ Do what the officer says,” Rater said. “There’s a (body) camera running nine times out of 10, (and) there’s nothing against the law that says you can’t record on your own device. Then, deal with that later.” 

At the end of the six-week academy, attendees will have an opportunity to share takeaways from the experience. Rater said this gives the department an idea of the impact the Citizen’s Police Academy has on attendees. 

“We’ve gotten such positive feedback from those classes, even (from) people going into it with preconceived notions. … And then when we have the last day and people get to speak into what they’ve learned or what they see,” Rater said. “The mindset has changed dramatically of us and police in general. The lightbulb goes off.”

For more information about LPD’s Citizen’s Police Academy or to be put on a list for updates on future classes, contact Cindy Kozerow — cynthia.kozwerow@lynchburgva.gov. 

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