BRENHAM P.D. HOSTS CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

  

The Brenham Police Department has created a Citizens Police Academy (CPA) designed specifically for students with special needs at Brenham High School.

“We’ve been using the Citizens Police Academy for a number of years to reach out to all segments of our population and encourage their participation in our programs aimed at reducing and preventing crime. It has also been very beneficial in building partnerships within the community,” said Chief Craig Goodman. “This past spring during the Torch Run we realized there was a very significant part of our population that we were not reaching.”

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is held every year as a way to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. Officers from all over the state, including Brenham police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, participate in the annual event.

“We realized that while we get to spend time with the students involved in Special Olympics it’s only once a year. After brainstorming with Command Staff, and meeting with representatives of Brenham ISD, we developed a Citizens Police Academy specifically for students identified with special needs at Brenham High School,” Goodman said.

The high school CPA class is held once a week for 12 weeks, as is the original class. Students are introduced to the world of policing, as well as other areas of emergency response.  The classes are modified to meet the needs of the students involved and parents have the right to opt a student out of specific activities.

“We are starting our third week on Monday and so far this has been very successful. The students have enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of our 911 dispatchers and Brenham firefighters as well as the officers they’ve met.

“This is more than just an outreach to a group of students – this is a way to ensure that our officers understand how to connect with someone whose ability to communicate is very different than their own. It is also a way to build relationships so that as these young people continue on in life, they know that in the event of an emergency, we are the people they can turn to,” Goodman said.

“I am personally very pleased and excited about this class. I believe it will benefit our entire community in the long run.”