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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/1...26988802453.txt

First citizens class begins at local police academy

By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, October 15, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — A six-week journey for about 30 La Porte County residents to learn the inner-workings of the Michigan City Police Department began Thursday night at the Police and Fire Training Academy.

While the first two-hour plus session of Michigan City’s inaugural Citizen’s Police Academy consisted mostly of PowerPoint presentations on the basics of national, state and local police laws, interested students looked forward to a more “hands on” approach during the next five sessions of the class.

La Porte resident Diana Membrila has already completed similar classes in La Porte, where civilians are put in simulated situations to experience what it is like to be a police officer.

Now enrolled in Michigan City’s first class, she looks forward to seeing the differences between the two city departments.

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”I’m interested to see how they do things different,” she said. “I look forward to being able to do some of the hands-on sessions.”

She refers to the opportunity to use a Taser, participate in a hostage negotiation, solve a murder-mystery and participate in a simulation of entering a building to look for a criminal.

Having been a veteran of other Citizens Academy programs, Membrila was already familiar with much of the material presented by class instructors Sgt. Chris Yagelski and Capt. Mark Harris Thursday night.

Others were informed of the differences between criminal and civil law, law enforcement organization and jurisdictions, felonies and misdemeanors, as well as what is needed for an officer to make an arrest.

”That was an education,” said Willie Milsap, La Porte County Commissioner and a student at the Citizens Police Academy. “If more residents knew what we just learned, we would all be better residents.”

During an opening statement at the beginning of the class, Police Chief Mark Swistek credited Sgt. David Legros, commander of the Street Crimes Unit, for coming up with the idea.

”It had been on my bucket list of things to do as chief,” Swistek said, applauding Yagelski for “an excellent job putting this together.”

Swistek also thanked Wal-Mart for providing a $1,500 grant for the class.