MPD Holding Eight-Week Citizens Police Academy; Register Now!

By Eric Peterson

Many residents of the Manteno Community are no strangers to the Manteno Police Department. One does not have to look far on social media to find posts of stories from residents recalling instances where Manteno officers randomly paid for their bills at a grocery store or gas station, how progressive they have been with employing a diverse group of officers reflecting the area, or a plethora of other stories of positive interactions with the law.

While the MPD has worked on other initiatives county-wide, such as the Kankakee County Community Crisis Response Team, they now are happy to offer another opportunity to further open lines of communication between themselves and the people they are proud to serve.

The Manteno Police Department Citizens Police Academy is an eight-week free program that consists of eight, two-and-a-half hour blocks of information, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., every Wednesday evening at the Leo Hassett Community Center, 211 North Main Street in Manteno. The free class runs from June 8 through July 27, and offers a broad range of topics , including: An overview of the Manteno Police Department, patrol procedures, criminal law, traffic enforcement/DUIs, scam and fraud prevention, criminal investigations, domestic violence, response to people in crisis, ethics in policing, use of force, and juvenile law.

Course Coordinator MPD Sergeant Steve Skelly, though not be the only course instructor, said with the diversity within the Manteno Police Department, they are going to rely on different officers throughout the department for teaching, in an effort for the community to benefit from the expertise and personality of each officer.

“We have a very capable group of officers,” he said, and noted that by engaging the public in such a fashion, it would also help residents get to know their police department better. Sgt. Skelly recalled how beneficial Manteno’s “Coffee-with-a-Cop” has been in reaffirming confidence, transparency, and communication between the public and law enforcement, and this class is the next logical step.

Sgt. Skelly lauded the City of Kankakee for offering a similar class, and said the goal for these classes is two-fold. The primary goal is to inform the public as to what the police department really does, but it also allows the police department to get to know their community better.

“When you open up those lines of communication and get to know people better, and there is more cooperation and trust, you can hope to make allies with them and, hopefully, that spreads,” Sgt. Skelly remarked about the relationship between the public and police departments.

Regarding attendees, Sgt. Skelly said they want to attain as diverse a group from the area as possible, in hopes to get more dialogues going – not only as a testament to the transparency of the police department but to continue building on the relationship between the public and the police department.

“Once you see the benefits, you want it to snowball,” he said. “One ‘Coffee-with-a-Cop’ isn’t enough; we want to be engaged more.”

Sgt. Skelly noted, in regard to the importance of this class and opportunities like it, there has always been some communication breakdown between the public and police departments. He speculated that if the public was happy and felt protected and safe, they may not have had as much interest in the particulars of the policies and procedures of their officers.

He continued that as time went on, especially during the past couple of decades, the communication between the public and police departments has been more crucial. Opportunities, such as Citizens Police Academies, are vital in informing the public and giving them the platform to ask questions. Sgt. Skelly said Citizens Police Academies are more common in larger agencies, which is extremely necessary, as there aren’t many opportunities or formats for dialogues between the police and the public in regard to shootings, police trainings, and other situations.

Class applicants must be 18 years of age or older, although 16- and 17-year-olds may attend with a parent or legal guardian. Applicants also must pass a background check, have no felony convictions, or misdemeanor or DUI arrests for three years prior to applying.

To learn more and apply for the class, please visit www.villageofmanteno.com/police-department and scroll to the “Citizens Police Academy” section. Return completed applications to the Manteno Police Department, 269 North Main Street, by May 25.