Citizens' Police Academy, Part 2

This week, the focus was on the patrol units, a department tour and Emergency Response Units, aka SWAT.

That patrol section was interesting, but only in the details. Nothing was surprising there.

The surprising part was finding out that St Louis Park only uses their SWAT team 4-5 times per year. It is generally only used for high risk warrants. The really surprising part is that they have a concrete scoring system to define "high risk". If the warrant doesn't score high enough, they don't use SWAT.

Listening to the whispers and questions during the range tour and SWAT section was interesting. There were definitely a few people who hadn't thought through the concept of "police" when it comes to the delegation of force.

I was disappointed at the end. The presenter was one of the instructors and range officers. He brought in a few of the SWAT weapons. He did check to see they were clear, and had the other officer in the room double check. He proceeded to sweep the room a few time after that. The 4 rules exist for redundant safety, not for convenience. I didn't call him on it at the time, but I should have.

I left when show and tell started. If the range officer can't control his own muzzle, I wasn't about to sit around while he watched a dozen other people not control theirs. I know I passed up a teaching moment, but it was too chaotic to be comfortable.

1. All guns are always loaded!
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy!
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target!
4. Always be sure of your target!

SLP Citizens' Police Academy, Part 1

I'm participating in the Saint Louis Park Citizens' Police Academy. Last night was the first night.

The first half of the night was introductions and a history of the city as it applies to the Police Department. It was interesting, and I wish it would have covered more, but links were provided to flesh out the details.

Interesting fact: As little as 15 years ago, the SLPPD union was represented by the Teamsters.

The second half of the night was a review of the philosophy of SLPPD policing. They really strive to maintain a culture of cooperation with the community, not "Us vs. Them". It's impressive how much they want to be a service-oriented department. It's a pervasive part of the SLPPD culture. I know the academy is partly a propaganda mission, but the mission statements were on every wall in every hallway. They want this to be their department culture, and they are proud of it. It shows in their real-world dealings with the general public, too. I've had several opportunities to interact with the police here, and I've never had cause for complaint.

Interesting fact #2: SLPPD requires quarterly shoots, instead of the "standard" annual shooting qualification.

We also got into a discussion on the recent history of the "problem" areas in town.