STOUGHTON — Acting Police Chief Brian Holmes is pleased to share that the Stoughton Police Department has concluded its second-ever Interactive Citizens Academy and graduated more than a dozen participants from it on Wednesday.
Over the course of seven weeks and 12 sessions, the class learned directly from Stoughton Police Officers and community partners about various police roles and responses. Subjects included K-9 responses, use of force, arrest and detention, constitutional and criminal law, and more. Graduates are now eligible to participate in a ride-along with a Stoughton Police Officer.
The class consisted of 16 men and women with a wide variety of backgrounds, including teachers, nurses, financial analysts and retirees.
“We would like to thank all of the graduates for taking time out of their busy lives to spend time learning from our officers and allowing us to learn from you all. We also would like to thank all of our public safety partners for assisting us in these efforts and providing so many unique and interactive ways to connect with community members,” Acting Chief Holmes said. “We are proud to be able to show residents some of the things that Stoughton Police Officers do every day, and we encourage anyone interested to join us for our next Interactive Citizens Academy in the spring.
During the K-9 unit, participants observed K-9 demonstrations from Stoughton Officer Edward Barker and K-9 Dino. The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office visited the group with K-9 Eddie, who is a comfort dog that visits hospitals, schools, and nursing homes in the area. The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office also supported the academy by bringing the BearCat, Command Post and drone equipment to display for the class.
With the help of Stoughton District Court, the class conducted a mock arrest and learned the steps of the arrest process all the way through arraignment. After participating in a mock arraignment, the class had an opportunity to interact with Presiding Justice Daniel O’Malley, Clerk Magistrate Kirsten Hughes, court officers, the assistant district attorney, defense council, and probation officer Tamisha Civil, who was also a student participant in the class.
Additionally, the class took part in MILO training led by officers from the Massachusetts Police Training Committee (MPTC). Through this interactive simulator, participants had the chance to display tactical judgment, firearms proficiency, de-escalation abilities and more, through various scenarios involving suspects.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, NO FIRST TIME and Emory Recovery Center gave a presentation on the impacts of opiates in the community. Representatives shared personal stories about how opiates have impacted their families in order to raise awareness about the dangers of drug misuse.
Stoughton Police wish to thank all the community partners who helped make this class a success, including: Superintendent Danielle Frane and the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; METRO-LEC; MPTC Executive Director Ret. Chief Robert Ferullo; MPTC Officers James Hazeldine (Norfolk PD) and Officer Benjamin Lavine (Bolton PD); Stoughton District Court; NO FIRST TIME, and Emory Recovery Center.
The Department also wishes to thank the following members of the Stoughton Police Department for teaching the sessions: Officer Rendi Brown, Officer Mike Connelly, Detective Sandra Barrett, Detective Sgt. James O‘Connor, Officer Barker, Officer Bryan Mokrisky and Victoria Denneno, Sgt. Michael Cowgill, Detective Daniel Barber, Detective Robert Kuhn, Detective Sandra Barrett, Sgt. Nathan Derby, Sgt. Michael Cowgill, Detective Daniel Barber, Officer Joseph DeSousa and Sgt. Roger Hardy.
The Department plans to hold another Interactive Citizens Academy in the spring. Interested residents are encouraged to keep an eye out for more information about this class.
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