ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Gabriel Melero accepts his certificate for completing the Revere Citizens Police Academy from Officer Joe Turner.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
REVERE — Graduates of the Revere Police Department Citizens Police Academy now know what it’s like to be a cop.
Fourteen residents attended the nine-week program designed to familiarize them with how the police department works and to build a partnership between the community and its officers.
Lt. Amy O’Hara said students find out exactly what police officers do on the job.
“This is a way for us to engage with the community,” said O’Hara.
Gabriel Melero, 26, a Revere resident from Brazil, said he wants to enter the U.S. Army first and then become a police officer. He saw the Facebook post on the academy and applied.
“It was a great opportunity to understand more about law enforcement here in Revere and across the United States,” he said.
Madonna Bates, 49, of Revere, said she works in a Comcast call center, but prefers to be a police dispatcher if the opportunity arises.
David Riccio, 24, of Revere, said he gained so much more knowledge and respect for what police do each day.
“I’m thinking about becoming a cop,” he said.
Sgt. Maria LaVita, a co-instructor, said the course explains the department’s hiring process, provides an overview of the patrol unit and how it is operated, gives a glimpse into human trafficking and domestic violence, and provides a K9 demonstration and the use of force with defensive tactics.
Officer Joseph Turner, the other instructor, teaches about the use of force, which includes the taser.
Also included in the program is a visit from the Crime Investigation Division commander and the sergeant in charge of the Drug Unit. Revere has a Special Operations Unit, known as the SWAT team, who also provided a demonstration.
LaVita said a popular part of the academy is a ride-along with officers. That’s when a participant accompanies an officer in a cruiser and gets a close-up look at police work.
There was a visit from North Suffolk Mental Health Association and a demonstration on drug addiction and Narcan, the life-saving overdose drug. LaVita said officers now carry Narcan in their cruisers.
To participate, students must be at least 18 and pay a $50 fee. Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli planned to invite people from outside Revere. But there was such a big response from residents that they limited the program to them.
LaVita said another goal for the academy is for residents to be encouraged to call police if they need help. She said there is sometimes a disconnect between the public and police, and that people might be fearful to call an officer or think they’re being a bother.
Mayor Brian Arrigo congratulated the graduates for being active citizens.
“I’m sure that you have a much greater appreciation for the great work our men and women are doing and how they’re putting their lives on the line,” said Arrigo.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
