The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) has long been a pillar of the on-campus community, ensuring the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff. Twice a year, GTPD offers community members the opportunity to learn more about their work through the Citizen’s Police Academy program. This five-week program is designed to strengthen ties between the on-campus community and the GTPD, with a spotlight on the inner-workings of the department’s crime prevention efforts. To gain insight into what the Citizen’s Police Academy program offers, we asked ASC’s very own Diana Sutton-Fernández to share her experience of joining the program.
Sutton-Fernández was drawn to participate in the Citizen’s Academy program by “a strong desire to learn more about the inner workings of the GTPD and how they interact with and support our community.” She shared that the experience left her deeply impressed with a comprehensive understanding of the GTPD’s operations, mission, and role in our community.
Prior to joining the program, she already had a general appreciation for the GTPD, but the program allowed her to broaden her perspectives on the full extent of their crime prevention efforts. Among the many topics covered by the program, a few that stood out to Sutton-Fernández were the detailed sessions discussing GTPD’s approach to criminal investigations, simulations, K-9 unit training, and the hands-on firearms training, where officers taught participants how to safely handle firearms. These informative sessions all contributed to a very compelling and informative program.
Moving forward, she believes that the lessons offered by the program will allow her to more effectively collaborate with the GTPD and ensure the continued safety of the on-campus community. It is an experience she highly recommends others to join. Sutton-Fernández said, “Our officers are not just enforcers of the law; they are integral members of our community who are actively engaged in supporting and protecting all of us. Their dedication and commitment are truly commendable.”