Citizens Police Academy strengthens bond with community

As reporters have about as much contact with police officers as anyone short of the criminals they catch, I decided to learn a bit more about how my frequent companions at crime and accident scenes look at their often dangerous jobs.

Joining a number of fellow inquisitive souls in Schaumburg, I signed up for this spring's session of the Citizen's Police Academy.

The class is still offered free of charge to those interested -- and whose criminal background check can get them through the front door.

A welcoming atmosphere is prepared by the department, whose main intent is a stronger bond of mutual understanding with the public.

Police Chief Brian Howerton appeared at the first session to explain his own passion for the program.

Somehow, with just a handful participating at two annual sessions, the department has indeed felt its show of goodwill to the community reflected back over the years.

Howerton said the continuation of the program has become a priority for him.

Community policing:ΠAn explanation of community policing led off the session.

Sgt. John Nebl explained that community policing is often misinterpreted as a "program," or a system of being soft on crime.

More accurately, community policing is an entire philosophy of looking after a village that's dependent on open communication and mutual familiarity between officers and particular areas.

This breaks the village into 10 numbered beats. Residents and business owners are encouraged to know the time and location of their monthly beat meeting, where they can share a concern or learn what's going on.

But the three daily shifts on every beat represent three different faces of Schaumburg, Nebl explained. The people and incidents encountered during an eight-hour period are very different for the officers on each shift.

It can be quite an eye-opening experience -- for better or worse -- for an officer asked to fill in during a shift different than his or her own, Nebl said.

Emotional support: The Rev. Allen Eaton, chaplain of the department, talked about the pain and joy of his emotionally sensitive position.

Eaton is there for the spiritual and psychological well-being of both the officers and the members of the public with whom they come in contact. He accompanies officers in approaching citizens touched by tragedy, and often follows up for as long as or longer than their grieving process takes.

But he's also there for the officers, who are burdened with life-or-death decisions that are spared most people.

While Eaton is often privy to the darkest moments of people's lives, he's made equally welcome at their most joyful. He's learned, for instance, how to tell when someone he knows is working their way up to ask him to officiate at their wedding.