On Wednesday night 15 community members sat with East Lansing police officers for three hours - but there were no handcuffs, fingerprints or interrogations.
Ranging from MSU students to senior citizens, the residents participated in the sixth-annual Citizens' Police Academy, an 11-week program aimed to teach people about the department.
"Unfortunately, the first time people meet officers, it's not always under the best conditions," East Lansing Police Lt. Kevin Daley said. "We want to show a complete picture of the amount of training officers receive, and why we do the job we do."
The class, which meets every Wednesday until March 23, also will teach residents about use of force issues and community policing. A ride-along in a police car will be included.
The academy is free and limited to 20 participants. Wednesday's class drew 15 people. More would have come if it weren't for the traffic caused by the accidents on I-96 that night, Daley said.
Sociology junior Stephen Potoczek said attending the class was the first time he really had been exposed to the department.
"I haven't seen the police department in-depth like that," he said. "I've had to go bail people out sometimes, that's it."
Potoczek said he is interested in criminal justice because of many connections between it and his sociology major.
East Lansing resident Hilda Hawkins said she was excited to ride in a police car. Her husband Durwood Hawkins said he was interested in learning more about the department.
"I just wanted to hear what the police story is in East Lansing, to see what they have to offer," Durwood Hawkins said.
Deputy Police Chief Tom Wibert gave a history of the police department. Historical stories included some about 1970s anti-war protests and more recent riots after MSU basketball games.
Although the officers addressed multiple confrontations between the East Lansing police and MSU students, a focus of the program is to improve community relationships.
"I want to help bridge the gap between the police department and the greek community," said Potoczek, who is a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.
Daley said he also is invested in the area.
"The main reason I love it here is MSU," Daley said. "I love the students, it keeps us young."
