Academy offers look at police work.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

While most people prepare to unwind from a long week, Brad Dunlap gets ready to start his second job - as a volunteer at the Central Lane 911 dispatch center in Eugene.

From 9 p.m. to about 3 a.m. every Friday and Saturday, Dunlap maintains the dispatch center's training library, burns copies of radio transmissions and emergency calls onto DVDs for court cases, and helps monitor radio traffic when the call load gets overwhelming.

He's been doing it for about five years now, and he credits the Eugene Police Department's citizens' police academy with preparing him for the job.

"I've got a better understanding of the department and what's going on," said Dunlap, an IT director for PeaceHealth. "Just understanding all the acronyms they use is helpful."

Earlier this month, the citizens' academy graduated its 20th class of civilian participants.

The 15-member group ranged in age from 27 to 70 and came from all walks of life. Over the course of 16 weeks, they learned the ins and outs of law enforcement in Eugene and got an up-close look at how police, dispatchers, forensic analysts and others do their jobs.

Dunlap, a one-time police cadet, reserve officer and dispatcher in Indiana, graduated from the citizens' academy 10 years ago. He said recently he was impressed with the program, especially considering the kinds of budget limitations municipal governments contend with.

"I was also impressed with the openness of the presenters, because law enforcement tends to be a closed society, and it was like that when I was a part of it," he said.

The most recent class of recruits watched as officers demonstrated defensive tactics, participated in SWAT team scenario training, got behind the wheel of speeding patrol cars at the department's driving training ground, saw police dogs put through their paces and fired an assortment of weapons at the shooting range.

Sgt. Sam Kamkar, training manager for the department, said the weekly sessions are designed to be fun and educational.

"It's not just lecture-based," he said. "Participants get to go out there and get involved."

People sign up for the free series for various reasons, he said. Some are interested in law enforcement as a career, others have a longtime interest in police work, and still others are simply curious.

"One thing they all have in common is a commitment to their community and a desire to see the community succeed," Kamkar said.

Janet Kirsch signed up for the most recent academy to better orient herself in her new job at the police department's training division. Employees aren't required to complete the session, but Kirsch wanted to learn about the different facets of the agency.

"I like learning about how police officers go through their training," she said. "That's what interested the group the most - understanding what the officers go through."

The sessions were a great way for Kirsch to meet the people she'd be dealing with as she coordinates training for the various special teams and divisions within the agency, she said.

"I think it's helped a lot," she said. "It shed a lot of light on all the different departments."

The academy furthers the department's community policing goals by opening the doors and allowing local residents to learn more about police services and policies, Kamkar said. The sessions allow citizens to put names and faces to their local officers.

The free academy is open to any interested Eugene citizen who passes a standard background check. The course is held once a year, typically starting in September.

Applications are available at the front desk of the Eugene Police Department at 777 Pearl St., Room 107, or by mail by calling the department's training unit at 682-2751.