The 11-week Citizens Police Academy program came to a close Tuesday night at the Bloomington Police Department.
Evidence technician Mark Miller gave the final lesson on the collection and preservation of evidence. He brought examples of drug evidence sealed in plastic bags for the class to look at.
He lined the front table with bags containing a variety of substances that were thought to be heroin, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, acid and prescription pills.
Chief Michael Diekhoff took the podium after the presentation and asked the class about their experiences.
Patricia Fowler told Diekhoff her favorite part of the class was firearms training and getting to know the officers.
“I think being with the guys and going through it with them was really fun,” Fowler said.
Other students said they enjoyed participating in ride-alongs and learning about the different forms of training officers go through.
Some of the students asked Diekhoff questions about different aspects of the department, such as park safety and police presence downtown.
Then it was time for the students to graduate. Diekhoff said this is the largest class they’ve ever had.
Diekhoff stood at the front of the room and called each student up one by one. Diekhoff gave them a handshake and a certificate of completion.
Once the students received their certificates, the class posed for a group photo with Diekhoff.
IU sophomore Stephanie Pujols said she would highly recommend the class and that it helped confirm her thoughts about law enforcement.
“I really enjoyed it,” Pujols said. “After taking it, I decided I do want to pursue law enforcement.”
