The police departments of the county’s three central cities will hold a Citizen’s Academy for area residents beginning after the new year.

Applications for one of the 25 seats are still available online, said Lt. Steve Timmons of the Aberdeen Police Department.

“It’s good to educate the community and get them involved,” Timmons said in a phone interview. “We did one in 2020 which was cut short because of COVID. They hear from officers. They hear from judges. They hear from the crime lab.”

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The 12-week course will take residents through different aspects of law enforcement as it’s practiced here in Grays Harbor, Timmons said, peeling back the curtain and demystifying the profession a little bit.

“We just want people to kind of see, give them a unique insight into what law enforcement does everyday,” Timmons said. “It’s not what like what you see watching CSI. We can’t solve a case in 45 minutes.”

The course will also include some simulator training, showing residents how police train for different high-impact scenarios, Timmons said.

“The goal this year is to get in some simulator training. It’s some real insight in the day-to-day of what we’re doing,” Timmons said. “It’s almost like, a 360 (degree scenario). They put you in situations to make you react, whether it’s a person with a weapon or a distraught person. They put you in a situation to see how you react.”

The departments all have links to the application on their sites, Timmons said. Applicants must be at least 18, without a “significant” criminal record, and must be available for the academy, which will go each Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. with some Saturdays for extra hands-on events, according to the news release.

“I’ve heard about it a long time ago. I’ve heard about it being done across the country,” Timmons said. “It’s been pretty successful. There’s people who have done the previous ones who want to come back and do it again.”

The departments have held previous academies in recent years, Timmons said, including a 2020 iteration that was cut off by COVID.

“From us to Hoquiam and Cosi, everyone’s getting involved,” Timmons said. “There’s a lot of participation from all three agencies. It’s a pretty significant investment from all three agencies. Everyone’s excited to participate.”

Applications are still available online at www.aberdeen.gov or www.cityofhoquiam.com, Timmons said; the cut-off to apply is next Friday, Dec 16.

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.