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The upcoming Morristown Police Department Citizens Academy was the subject of discussion during a City Council work session on Tuesday.

MPD Chief Roger Overholt and Deputy Chief Michelle Jones were on hand to explain to council members how the project, headed up by the department’s training unit, is one of the ways the MPD is involved in the community.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to allow the participants to better understand the laws, procedures and guidelines that govern our everyday decision making and how the officers do their job,” Jones said. “It gives us an awesome opportunity as well to hear from the citizens’ different perspectives and ideas that they bring about what they think their police department should look like when they come in to spend this time with us.”

The upcoming academy is the 24th in the departments’ series.

“I can’t believe it’s been that long,” Jones said. She was not a member of the MPD for the first academy session but arrived not long after.

The dates for the academy are May 16 through June 13. Applications are still being accepted. The majority of classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Class times are from 6 to 10 p.m.

“It’s a little bit of a commitment,” Jones said. “Most of our participants say that it’s worth it. There is one Saturday, it’s a range day – it’s a 6-hour day; we actually take them to the field firing range, everyone has a lot of fun that day. It’s scheduled for June 6, and we have a rain makeup day.”

Academy instructors provide an overview of the department during the first night of class, according to Overholt.

“We include a lot of statistical data and what our response capabilities are,” Overholt said.

The first class will also provide a idea of what activities participants will be involved in throughout their time within the academy, along with the types of equipment and specialized training they will be exposed to.

“That night they will tour the police department facility itself; there will be several of our personnel, our instructors and people who are involved in this program there. They also get to go up and have a visit at the justice center, they get to visit the jail,” Overholt said. “And they get a chance to go up and look at 9-1-1. It’s amazing the comments we hear after they see those people at 9-1-1 working those multiple consoles and the number of calls they’re dealing with and the stressful situation they’re in at any given time.”

Instructors for the remainder of the classes work to include as many of the specialized MPD units as possible in the academy experience.

One of the classes will involve the Internet Crimes Against Children unit.

“We have a very active, one of the few Internet Crimes Against Children units within the East Tennessee region,” Overholt said.

Over the years, a class has emerged as a participant favorite: crime scene investigation.

“Everyone watches Forensics Files, CSI on TV,” Overhold said, “And everyone knows how to go out and collect that evidence and solve that crime. So, we give them the opportunity to do that as well at the Citizens Academy.”

Coming in at a close second is the K-9 Unit class. According to Jones, the K-9 handlers have a great time.

“We do give the participants bite suits,” Jones said. “I’m always surprised at how many folks will volunteer to ‘take a bite’ because you can still feel it through that bite suit. You will come away knowing that you have been bit.”

Other activities for Citizens Academy participants include traffic stops and driving the training track, meeting with personnel from the SRT, or SWAT, and Explosive Ordinance, along with Crisis Negotiation, Crash Reconstruction, Public Relations, School Resource Officers, Chaplains and the Arial Support Unit.

“I have achieved a milestone in my life,” Overholt said dryly. “I now have an Aerial Support Unit in the police department. They’re just small drones, however that unit has been very effective.”

“Constantly, at the end of this program one of the things we hear is: “We did not know our police department had these capabilities,” Overholt said.

Range day is a full day and participants have the opportunity to take a look at all the types of weapons within the MPD and are able to fire many of them, according to Jones.

“I was really surprised at what good shots folks around here are,” she said. A potluck lunch is traditionally held on the grounds. “It’s a good opportunity for us to be with those participants and spend some time getting to know them and having those conversations.”

Participants also have the opportunity to ride with an officer on patrol during an eight-hour shift, although there are limitations. For example, participants are discouraged from carrying their personal weapon or joining in on any foot pursuits, according to both Jones and Overholt.

“It’s amazing the difference sometimes that you see in people from when they first come into the program – then once they’ve spent that eight hours and they view the world through the windshield that those police officers do. They see it from that police side,” Overholt said.

Class graduation is held at the end of the program, during which participants are presented a certificate of completion. To date, 13 have signed up for the 2023 academy. There are 25 spots in total.

For more information, call the MPD at 423-585-2710.