CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Citizen Academy has completed its first class and already is looking ahead to hosting more of the trainings.

For the last month the Clearlake Police Department has hosted the academy, which began Feb. 4, according to Lt. Tim Celli.

The class was made up of current volunteers as well as citizens from within the city of Clearlake and nearby areas of the county, Celli said.

During the course, citizens were exposed to information specific to the Clearlake Police Department as well as information universal to law enforcement in California, Celli said.

Celli said that citizens and current volunteers who attended the academy received at least 24 hours of training in various laws, procedures, report writing, crime scene investigation, radio communications, patrol procedures as well as information from Clearlake Animal Control.

Some participated in a ride-along with an officer and at least one attendee has completed a sit-along with a dispatcher, according to Celli.

At the completion of the training, Celli said four attendees have decided to join the Volunteers in Policing, or VIPs, program and continue on with additional training.

The department congratulated academy certificate recipients Elin Vonrekowski, Jim Hopkins, Bill Mcintyre, Fred Gaul, Ruth Gaul, Wanda Celli, Jeaneen Dean, Ross Bartoe, Melinda Wymer, Mark Burger, Tina Viramontes, Marie Weathers and Dorothy Turner.  

Celli said this was the first citizen academy the Clearlake Police Department has done and staff believes it was a success.

“The feedback received from attendees was very positive and we look forward to doing more academies in the future,” Celli said.