Latrice Garner completes Millennial Citizens Police Academy in Atlanta
With the completion of her latest journey, Alcorn State University alumna Latrice Garner is now equipped to encourage better relationships between the community and law enforcement.
Garner completed the Millennial Citizens Police Academy with the Atlanta Police Department in December. The mission of the eight-week Academy is to focus on the concerns of millennials and help them understand how the police department works.
Joining the Academy was a way for Garner to seek enlightenment on what goes on at the Police Department. She said that the opportunity was eye opening.
“I joined the Millennial Citizens Police Academy to be able to provide feedback concerning how we view police/community relations within our generation,” said Garner. “I learned more about the training that the Atlanta Police Department provides its officers. I also learned about the issues concerning the way police are portrayed on social media and other media outlets.”
Besides learning different laws, Garner enjoyed the police simulation that placed her in situations that required a swift response.
“One of the most interesting aspects of the program was when we were placed in scenarios in which we had to either use a Taser, gun or pepper spray to respond to threatening individuals. After we chose our weapon to use in the simulator, we discussed with our training officers why we made our decision. We learned to consider certain factors such as the distance of the individual with a weapon and threat to himself or others.”
The experience changed Garner’s opinion on law enforcement.
“Going into this program, I thought all police officers felt that they were above the law and didn’t care how they treated people. I grouped all police officers across the country in one category. After completing the academy, I realized all police departments are not the same.”
