Recent riots against police not affecting Regional Police Training Academy
MARQUETTE — Police across the country have been under terrible scrutiny lately but the negative attacks have not affected recruitment for the Marquette Regional Police Training Academy.
With the Michigan Regional Police Academy starting it’s training this week, we take a look at how Michigan regional training officers are handling the current situation with it’s recruits.
Despite riots from Ferguson, to Baltimore, and every other city who has had to deal with lawful and unlawful protests against police recently, the Michigan Regional police officer training program for the U.P. has remained steady in its number of recruits this year. With training underway, the recruits are taught firearm training as well as the law in Michigan when it comes to firing their weapon.
“They also receive scenario training where they have shoot, don’t shoot and not everything is shoot, this isn’t the wild west. We teach them how to de–escalate as well as escalate. From day one they are being trained on use of force policy and use of force law,” said Lt. Kenneth Love, Regional Training Manager.
The recruits receive sixteen weeks of training and officer Love says the training and learning doesn’t and shouldn’t stop after the academy. What they learn from their department and officers they work with is geared toward continuing their progression of being an upstanding police officer, sworn to serve and protect. But as with everything, communication is key.
“In my experience as a law enforcement officer and as a training simply have a conversation or explain what is going a little better than just arriving, making an arrest and leaving. Transparency is big, that will help a lot of people in law enforcement and you also have to realize that law enforcement officers are people to, we live in this community and we have some of the same concerns as regular citizens have,” continued Love.
So in August these 14 young recruits, including one female will hit the streets across the U.P. continuing a tradition of serving and protecting.