C by Les Somogyi itizens Police Academy Opens Your Eyes Danger Is Always Around The Corner Photos by Reynoldsburg Magazine A personal and passionate experience story Did you know that the lifespan of an average police officer is about 10 years less than most average citizens? After participating in a 12week intensive hands-on training with Reynoldsburg’s finest police officers through the city’s Citizens Police Academy, I have a different perspective of what it means for police officers to show up for work every day. Nevermind the 12-hour shifts, the cold lunches because of countless emergency calls, the elevated heartbeats that come with each traffic stop. The goodbyes each morning as they leave their families are never taken for granted. And a sigh of relief could be deafening each night they come home. With an over $30 million dollar city budget, more than half goes to the police department to keep peace, keep us safe. The money and the effort spent are huge. These men and women signed up for a task that most of us can’t and won’t do. It’s not the money, it’s not the falsely perceived TV fame, it’s not the power of being a police officer. It’s an honorable and gutsy job. It takes getting used to a special kind of mentality on a daily basis. Many jobs are like that. Police work is just one of them. I, and 15 other Reynoldsburg area residents, got a glimps of what it’s like to be out on the streets facing these daily odds. On this page, you are getting a small glimpse of what we went through this winter: understanding what traffic stops are, what SWAT officers face, getting involved in personal conflicts like domestic disputes, possible suicides, chasing down stolen cars, shooting and murder investigations and using dogs as the most effective de-escalating tactics of the police department. Speed reductions at school zones may be routine: the idea being that if you keep speeding through school zones, eventually you are likely to kill someone. We learned about the dangers of traffic stops and domestic disputes. We learned how to handle lifethreatening situations, possible rapes and unruly confrontations. Police work in Reynoldsburg is 20 no different than many other cities of our size. I give so much credit to officers who can keep their emotions in check when a normal reaction might be more charged when facing the actions of criminals. Let’s face it: police work means keeping safe while dealing with sometimes ugly and dangerous adversity. One innovative tool the department uses is introduction of a full-time social worker. Reynoldsburg Mayor Joe Begeny, who shared a spot with me in this winter’s Police Academy class, boasted that he believes Reynoldsburg’s police department is probably the finest, most trailblazing department in Ohio. I don’t doubt it. Chief Curtis Baker has worked very hard to keep the department up-to-date in technology as well as recruiting for diversity to reflect the make up of our city. Left is Officer Sean McGrew. He is the handler of Raider, one of three Reynoldsburg K-9 officers. Raider, often wearing a bullet-proof vest, is said to be one of the most effective situation de-escalators in police work. The bottom line is that I get it. I get why protecting themselves and their fellow officers are huge priority. I get why the education of citizens, such as this Police Academy, and the education of kids in schools are so vitally important. The big “take-away” from this experience and what I admire the most is how Reynoldsburg police officers are able to balance their private lives while keeping us safe. Below is Resource Officer Robert King. He was one of the leaders of the Citizens Police Academy. The other was Resource Officer Scott Marshall. Here, Officer King is shown in a demonstration of what Raider can and will do. You would not want to be on the receiving end of of this K-9 officer. The pictures above are Sergeant Mark Moser and his Harley: a seasoned, long-time veteran officer in Reynoldsburg. He has the pulse of the city, on motorcylce and in cruisers. He commands a staff of officers to safety. He said he may need new boots though, the old ones burnt up from the Harley’s exhaust pipe. In these pictures, on top, he is checking the speed of motorists on Route 40 Main Street and checking his equipment. Above left, Officer Nick Lewis and me. I spent a busy shift with Officer Lewis in his cruiser. We responded to a hotel fire, kept some speeders in check, responded to an accident investigation and performed school-zone patrol. Hours later, Officer Lewis had to deal with a cold lunch that day. I enjoyed hearing his cell phone ring-tone, which was his idol, Kenny Chesney, and more importantly, the way he glowed about his pride and joy, his wife Samantha, also a former police department employee, and his little daughter and son. This is me sporting SWAT equipment. The need for SWAT doesn’t happen often in Reynoldsburg but if it does, it’s good to know our police officers are ready via mutual agreement with Whitehall Police. The equipment I wore along with the riot shield is more than 60 pounds. Imagine wearing this gear for 12 straight hours in a possible stand-off situation. These two photos show Citizens Police Academy participants Kathy Pautsch, left and DeEarnest McLemore, above, checking Reynoldsburg motorists speeds one night during the course of the academy. We did not find any speeders that night. Reynoldsburg Magazine • Spring, 2022
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