Woods to Start Citizens Academy for Residents

Director of Public Safety Andrew Pazuchowski wants to generate communication between his department and the residents and business owners in the city.

This week he received the support of city council to begin a Citizen's Public Safety Academy that is slated to start this fall. The academy will accomodate 60 residents/business owners and will meet each Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. for six weeks.

Woods City Administrator Al Fincham introduced the program to council, explaining that outreach and communication is needed to help bring more understanding and education about police work and firefighting to residents and business owners.

"It's related to the perception of crime in the community," Fincham said. "Yes, I said the perception of crime. Every time something happens, concerns are voiced by the public."

There is a bit of , but crime statistics indicate otherwise--a fact that officials in all of the Pointes have emphasized at some point.

Admittedly there are some crimes that are higher profile and seemingly more violent but similar types of crimes have been happening in the Pointes for decades. The difference now is how word of the event travels, Pazuchowski has told Patch.

While there are still some of those and there likely always will be, the important trend is that there has not been a spike or an upward trend, officials have said.

The Citizens Public Safety Academy will offer those approved to take the course a chance to learn more about how police work and firefighting is done, to help their understanding of what they may see while around town, Pazuchowski said.

An example is when there is a fire, he said. State and federal laws require strict safety standards for firefighters. One of them relates to staffing a fire and requires that for each pair of firefighters inside a structure actively fighting the blaze there needs to be a pair of firefighters dressed in full gear, standing outside and ready to enter at any moment, he said. This is commonly referred to as the 2 In/2 Out rule among firefighters and public safety officials.

The perception in the community, however, is that the city is wasting money by having two firefighters standing there appearing to not be working, when in reality they are there to act as rescuers/backup of the firefighters inside, Pazuchowski said.

A variety of officials from the Pointes and beyond are going to participate in the academy, Fincham explained, rattling of a list including the Grosse Pointe Woods Municipal Judge Ted Metry, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the Woods' detective bureau, its juvenile officer, the Pointes' K-9 officer Raleigh and his handler Sgt. Mike Almeranti, dispatchers and more.

The academy will be free and only require an application. It's open to any resident or business owner in Grosse Pointe Woods. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and may not have any felony convictions.

In addition to offering information about investigation technique and procedure, the academy will also offer informational/educational sessions on topics such as identity theft, internet safety and how to avoid being scammed out of money--all crimes that are on the rise, generally non-violent and often committed without any face-to-face or intrusive encounters between the criminal and the victim. 

The academy is being modeled after a national recognized program that has been adopted by other metro area communities, Fincham said. It has been successful in those academies as well, he said.

Not only will the citizen's academy allow for the community to learn more but it will also allow the officers to receive feedback and information from the residents and hopefully keep the communication flowing between the two.

This is the second effort in which Pazuchowski is trying to reach out to the community to educate and help residents.

On Thursday, Woods Detective Dan Koerber and Judge Metry will give a crime prevention talk to the community's seniors during the Parks and Recreation annual Senior Ice Cream Social.

The talk, named Senior Citizens Crime Prevention Talk, was spurred by from the couple's bedroom.

The case remains under investigation but no new leads have surfaced recently. Pazuchowski wanted to reach out to the seniors in the community to help alert them to what activity should raise red flags and how to avoid being a victim of scams.

The application and more information about the Citizens Public Safety Academy will be available on the city's website this week. Applications can be submitted now through the start of the class and if the first set of session goes well, Fincham said officials will repeat it for others who also want to take it.