Ask an Officer

Graduates of Class #28, Euclid Citizens Police Academy with Sgt. Joel Barron

Question: What is the Euclid Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association?

Answer from: Guy Wolford, Alumnus, Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy Class #28, fall 2014, & Member, Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association (ECPAAA)

To answer this question, an explanation of the Euclid Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy is needed. The CPA is an 11 week program that is devoted to giving private citizens who either live or work in the city of Euclid the chance to “go behind the scenes” and learn the inner workings of their local police department.  Each week, the class focuses on one or more different areas of law enforcement, and features a guest speaker from a particular specialty who provides an informative presentation and also fields questions.  Each officer or representative who speaks is forthright, honest, and stresses that no question is considered “off limits” if it is pertinent to the discussion at hand.   I recently completed Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy class #28 which was led by Sgt. Joel Barron, the training supervisor for the Euclid Police Department. I found that I not only gained an increased respect for the work that my local police department does on a daily basis, but also developed a want to continue my involvement to help the Euclid Police.

At the end of our 11 week training, we were invited to join the Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association (ECPAAA) by their President, Bob Ayers, and Secretary, Terri Zakraysek.  I needed no further coaxing than that!  To give you some insight, however, here is some background on the ECPAAA, of which I am now an active and proud member, and our role within the Euclid Police Department.

The ECPAAA’s mission statement reads that we exist to “…assist the Euclid Police Department in its mission to provide education in law enforcement issues and community concerns to the citizens and employees of Euclid, Ohio. The Alumni supports the Department by volunteerism, in the belief that preservation of public welfare is the duty of every citizen.  As a citizens’ group, we offer a helping hand to our community to improve our quality of life. We develop and coordinate projects that are meaningful, rewarding experiences for our community”.   It is to that end that the primary role of the ECPAAA can be broken down into three words.  “Aid, Educate, Participate”.  We provide volunteer services to Euclid Police officers and the department whenever we can, we work alongside Euclid’s Community Policing Unit in promoting involvement and shaping positive community interactions, and we participate in fundraising activities to help officers and the department with expenses that would normally come out of their private income. 

The ECPAAA handles several yearly events, some of which you might already be familiar with.  The most popular fundraising event that we assist with is the annual Bicycle Auction every summer.  The ECPAAA also has sponsored an annual “Pistol Match” where competitive marksmanship meets a friendly competition.  Our organization is a 501C nonprofit and donations we’ve collected helped purchase and train K9 Officer “Rocky” in 2012.  The ECPAAA were also instrumental in the acquisition of the grant from the Ben Roethlisberger foundation which provided funds for the purchase of K9 Officer “Chase” in 2013.  The ECPAAA also devotes its funds from fundraising and annual membership dues toward the purchase of officer’s body armor which is essential in this modern era of police work.  Among one of the most exciting developments in recent months within the association, is the reinstatement of the “Second Eyes” program, where a member of the ECPAAA will “ride-along” with an on-duty officer for an abbreviated portion of their shift, acting in the capacity of an extra observer.  These experiences are both informative and exciting as they really extend the classroom knowledge obtained during the Citizen’s Police Academy into “Real World” situations. 

The Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association is open to graduates of the Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy and meets the second Monday of every month at a predetermined location.  The ECPAAA also issues a monthly newsletter, “The Informer” which is available in print form or archived via the Euclid Police Department website.

To find out more about the Euclid Citizen’s Police Academy and the Alumni Association (ECPAAA) visit the newly redesigned Euclid Police Department website at http://www.euclidpd.org under the “Programs” header and click on “Citizen’s Police Academy” and “ECPA Alumni Association”.

If you would like to submit a question to Ask an Officer, contact Community Policing at the Euclid Police Department:  email kmclaughlin@cityofeuclid.com or call 216-289-8449.