Two for the Road USA
By: Cathy Droz
Questions by Bill Z.
I sit on the board of directors for Silent Witness, a non- profit organization that raises funds to financially reward those responsible citizens who report crimes leading to arrests. The monies come from private donations and fund raising, not from the city government’s budget.
While rewards for information are offered, many are never collected. This is due to the civic responsibility of the citizens who are just looking to help and make a difference.Originally from New York, I have many retired friends from the New York City Police and Fire Departments. I have always admired the work and sacrifice of these organizations, especially after 9/11, where one of those friends was affected by the loss of several of his colleagues. Since then I have wanted to communicate to the masses what our fire and police departments do to keep our communities safe, and to reinforce a sense of respect for these courageous individuals. I felt the more educated I was with what they do, how they do it, as well as the individuals themselves, the more effectively I could get the word out thru the media and word of mouth.
Being a member of The Board of Silent Witness has exposed me to the police force in many forms. I have been given insight as to why these men and women chose such a dangerous and
demanding profession. The common thread I have found is they want to help other people in crisis, comforting the families of the victims and getting the bad guys off the street. As a whole, I have found the force to be compassionate, caring, dedicated and hard working.So far, the six week Citizens Police Academy (designed to give key members of the community a first-hand look at our police at work) has been informative and eye opening. It has also been educational in learning how many departments are involved in handling everything from traffic tickets to human smuggling.
I am currently entering week four of a six week program, which includes the following topics:
Dynamics of Deadly Force Encounters
Officer involved shooting
Ethics
Gangs
Homeland Defense
S.W.A.T.
Communications 911
Vice
K-9
Crime Lab /CSI
Community based policing
Amber Alert/Missing Persons
Air Support
DUI
Motorists Assist
Firearms Unit/Range/Arrest Tactics and
a full shift ride along in a precinct unit
I leave class each week without knowing any police secrets or how to get out of a traffic ticket, but I do know that the Phoenix PD, as well as other law enforcement departments in Arizona, possesses state of the art equipment and technology to keep us safe. With potential budget cuts being considered, this is not an area we want to cut back on. While Hollywood glamorizes some police departments, such as CSI (CSI Miami), the bottom line is that these men and women risk their lives everyday for our community.
When Two for the Road co-host Bill Z. asked Cathy on the radio about her academy classes, here is what she had to say:
What surprised you the most? The number of educated, attractive, strong, caring, high ranking women that serve in all forms of law enforcement.
Myths? I’ve not seen one donut at headquarters or in a patrol car
Which session so far has been an eye opener? Amber Alert/Missing Persons
If you could turn back time, would you ever consider being a police officer or firefighter? No, I am not that brave. I could work in the office of headquarters or Public Relations but that is it.
What do you hope to accomplish by taking this course? Communicating to others what I have learned, with the hope that they pass it along to their friends and families. To instill respect for the police, helping your neighbors and being observant at all times; “if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”
Wildest Goal? We start thanking the police, fire and Sheriff’s officers the way we thank the men in the armed forces in an airport. Yes they are paid to do their job, but you couldn’t pay me enough.
Worst Part of the Course: The photos of violent crimes against other human beings and exploited children.
For more about the Citizen Police Academy go to www.phoenix.gov/police/citaca1.html
