By Jacqui Seibel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Craig Henry and Matt Jendrzejczyk didn’t want to be cops, they just wanted to learn more about the job.
Both men went through an 11-week citizens academy at which they learned about the divisions of the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department and areas including patrol, emergency dispatching, the detective bureau, the jail, courts, the medical examiner and the use of deadly force.
Wanting to use the knowledge they gained, they now both head alumni associations for graduates of citizens academies.
Henry heads the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Citizens Alumni Association, a group of about 40 people who came together last year for a common purpose.
Jendrzejczyk heads a group of about 100 people who belong to the Waukesha Police Department’s Citizens Academy alumni group. The organization, started in 2001, is working toward obtaining nonprofit status, he said.
“We support the department and promote law enforcement in Waukesha County,” Henry said.
Most recently, the county’s alumni association helped staff the county phone bank that opened to assist in gathering and dispensing information about swine flu.
Henry said the group also plans to hold fund-raisers to assist the department in purchasing equipment that doesn’t make the budget.
Sheriff’s Detective Steve Pederson, who coordinates the academy, said the benefit of having an alumni group that understands the language and procedures of a department is immeasurable. Pederson plans to continue to give the members real work to do in which they can use their new knowledge. They may staff the department’s booth at the Waukesha County Fair and assist with security at future events.
The alumni group also hosts activities to increase its knowledge about law enforcement. It will be hosting a picnic at 4 p.m. June 24 at the McMiller Sports Center in Eagle at which participants will meet with sheriff’s deputies and have the opportunity to use some of the department’s pistols, rifles and shotguns for target practice.
Participants don’t have to be alumni group members but must have participated in the citizens academy, Henry said.
Shooting part of course
Shooting is part of the course, but that wasn’t always the case. The push to include firearms training in the academy came from Sheriff Dan Trawicki, an avid hunter who believes that everyone should go through a hunter safety course to understand the operation of a gun and how to be safe around firearms.
The alumni group won’t be armed when assisting law enforcement, Pederson said. But it could sometimes be the first line of communication with the public.
The city’s alumni association participates in numerous fund-raisers, from rummage sales to selling water at local events, Jendrzejczyk said. It raises money for the community, such as for the food pantry, and for the department. It purchased two refrigerators for the department’s break room and dress uniforms for officers. The group helped upgrade the officers’ workout room, he said.
The group has continuing education courses, including learning new tactical strategies so that members can refine their skills, Jendrzejczyk said.
Jendrzejczyk said he originally took the city’s citizens academy course about five years ago so he could better understand why police do what they do. He has since taken the county’s course, too, and is scheduled to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation citizens academy in fall.
“It has really opened my eyes,” he said. He says he no longer thinks that police are just driving around writing tickets, and he recognizes officers as professionals concerned about their communities.
The academies continue to flourish for both the city and the county.
Pederson said the county academy has a waiting list.
“These people coming to the academy have 50 different things they need to do,” he said. They have jobs, families and busy lives, yet they are dedicated to coming for 3 1/2 hours every week to learn about the department and law enforcement, he said.
Commitment
“The devotion and commitment to the community is fantastic,” Pederson said. “I don’t know how to describe the value of this.”
Not everyone is accepted. The application process includes a criminal background check, and the class is limited to 25 people in Waukesha County.
Having people with a keener insight into department procedure is a huge benefit to the Sheriff’s Department, Pederson said. Each class is approached to join the alumni association.
“Ultimately, the citizens of Waukesha County will benefit,” he said.
Copyright 2009 Journal Sentinel Inc.