| Citizen academies are scrutinized by Law | | | | Sometimes people feel that they must be vigilant to |
| Enforcement all the time. Some say they are a good | | | | stop crime and going through a citizen academy will |
| idea because they put the law in the hands of | | | | give them the knowledge skills and authority to do |
| citizens. For this same reason some think they are | | | | so. This is not true because after completing a citizen |
| more harmful than good, because even though | | | | academy you are still a citizen, not the police. If you |
| citizens are taught law and they are taught self | | | | see a crime being committed your duty as a citizen is |
| defense they are not the police and must not act like | | | | to report it, not to approach the person committing |
| it. They have advantages and disadvantages. They | | | | the crime. You may not think this, but if you |
| offer citizens education and knowledge in order to | | | | approach a person and decide to use some sort of |
| protect themselves. Knowledge is power, but it can | | | | force you actually may be committing a crime against |
| also be dangerous and so can the skills taught in | | | | that person and instead of foiling a crime you will land |
| these classes in the wrong hands. | | | | yourself in the middle of one. |
| We all have the right to protect ourselves, but this | | | | People may also become over confident in these |
| puts us in a gray area because we also do not have | | | | skills and get them in a situation where they will get |
| the right to force ourselves on someone by using | | | | hurt. Generally citizens are not put in an environment |
| force that we are unauthorized to use. Real police | | | | where they are constantly looking for threats against |
| academies not only teach the skills, but they teach | | | | you and for this reason an ordinary person is not |
| the "why's and when's" in much greater detail than | | | | looking for odd objects that may become a weapon. |
| citizen academies. They also the repercussions of | | | | A citizen could possibly even be surprised by a real |
| using force on someone. A normal citizen might think | | | | weapon such as a knife or a gun simply because it |
| they stopped a crime, but not think that they are | | | | did not enter their mind that a person committing a |
| going to have to answer for the blood now | | | | simple crime is carrying a gun. |
| streaming down that persons face. | | | | It is always a wonderful feeling when you are part of |
| When the adrenalin starts to rush police fall back on | | | | the reason a crime is prevented, but stopping a crime |
| their training to help them make the right decisions | | | | is not worth your life. Education is powerful and |
| that will create a positive outcome. Police repeat | | | | everyone should be knowledgeable of their |
| training over and over again so they don't have to | | | | community and how to protect it, but it's important |
| think they just react, and the reactions are correct. | | | | that people understand what their roles are and what |
| A citizen who goes through the academy gets | | | | the police roles are. Don't take crime personal |
| trained once, but probably does not repeat over and | | | | because then your emotions will start making |
| over again what they were trained. When it comes | | | | decisions and you will put yourself in a very bad |
| time to use their skills there is a very good chance | | | | position. |
| that they will use them incorrectly and get hurt. | | | | |