The Citizen's Police Academy met at the Fox Point Police Department Thursday for defense and arrest tactics training. Sgt. Doug Dubnicka led the training, showing us how to properly handcuff suspects. This process is not as simple as just "slapping on the cuffs." You grab the suspect's dominant hand first, turning the key to release them from the cuffs takes particular right-left-right twists to release, and there is even a special lock to keep the cuffs from continuing to tighten. Dubnicka also explained basic martial arts punches and kicks that officers sometimes use in defense against an …

Week Three began at the River Hills Police Department. Sgt. Michael Gaynor began with a tour of the facility, and an explanation on some key differences in training today, compared to the past. When the police academy started, it was who you knew. You needed a job, knew a local chief, and he'd say, "Here's your gun, good luck." Today, it's a 10- or 12-week course, hours of on-the-job training and reports and testing." During our history lesson, we also learned that officers used to live upstairs, above the police department when the facility was shared between the police and fire departments…

Week Two of the Citizens Police Academy began at the Fox Point Police Department. After a brief tour, we learned about evidence processing from investigator Michelle Wichman. After a brief explanation and demonstration, a few of us tried to dust for fingerprints. Wichman said there are two types of powders investigators can use — traditional powder, which is a mess to clean up; or magnetic powder. We dusted for prints on different surfaces like wine glasses or soda cans. With purple rubber gloves I got right in there and tried the magnetic dust. It's made of tiny metal shavings and the wand …

Week one began at the Bayside Police Department, the soon-to-be home of the new consolidated dispatch center. The Fox Point, Bayside and River Hills academy started last year, funded by a three-year grant which ends this year. Fox Point started their academy in 2000 and the goal was "to build a relationship between the police department and the community," Fox Point Police Chief Tom Czaja said. Each week, I'll be writing about the class and my reactions to what we were taught. Upcoming columns will feature training we'll receive on things like how to process a crime scene, how officers handle…