Dayton Police Department begins Citizens Academy for the Deaf

The Dayton Police Department began its Citizens Academy for the Deaf 12-week session last Tuesday, according to a release.

The department currently holds the 12-week Citizens Academy session twice during the year, in the spring and fall, but now offers it for the deaf to help open up lines of communication and engagement.

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The participants are part of a hands-on, interactive experience to learn more about what police officers do in their day-to-day work.

The class covers specialized units such as crime scene investigation, detectives and K-9, active shooter and personal safety training, conflict resolution, and handling firearms.

“This class offers the opportunity to form a partnership and become better connected with the deaf community in our city, while bringing awareness and educating our officers on how to interact with the deaf to get the best results on a police call or in a personal interaction,” said Officer Dan Mamula, who led the Citizens Academy session along with Officer Chris Pawelski.

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Week two of the session will be held tomorrow, March 19, at 6 p.m. at the Dayton Police Academy.