5 Reasons To Take The Burbank Police Community Academy

I love our Burbank Police Department. As a child, I dreamt of becoming a Detective. I have always loved putting clues together.  I loved watching and learning about true crime stories and have felt my eye for detail would help me catch the bad guy. As an adult, I’ve been obsessed with Forensic Files, 20/20, Dateline, Law & Order and Monk. Let’s just face it, Monk is probably the best TV show to ever exist. And if Tony Shalhoub is ever in my presence, he’d better run, because my hug will hold him forever.  

But here’s the thing…to be a Detective, you’ve got to be a police officer, first. And that wasn’t something that was in the cards for me. Becoming an officer isn’t for the weak. It’s not a position I am interested in holding. And I say God Bless those who do. 

Police officers, especially in my city of Burbank, are doing a great job and I wish everyone could have the opportunity to take the Community Class that they offer.
Be sure to look up your own local police department to see if they offer a Community Class. Many do! 

Here are my 5 reasons you should absolutely take a Police Department Community Class in your area. 

1. Are The Burbank Police Reserves For You Or Someone You Know?

Did you know that the Burbank Police department has a reserve program?! I did not. What that means, is that we have actual police officers…for real, trained, ‘have to pass all the tests’ officers, who dedicate their time to our city FOR FREE…NO PAY…VOLUNTARILY.
They risk their lives for us, and request no compensation in return. 

Say what?!

Yeah, not joking. We even have an officer who’s been doing this for Burbank for over 30 years.
Why? Because they love their current career and don’t want to leave, but want to give back. Currently we have our first female reserve, and she’s totally awesome. 

For more information on the Burbank Police Department Reserve Program, click here. 

2. Learn about all of the departments within the Burbank Police. 

Police Departments across our country do not all have access to the same programs. I think it’s really important to understand what your department has the ability to do, and not do. Budget cuts or budget shortages play a big part in this, obviously. In our community academy class, I loved learning about our Mental Health support, Forensics, Investigation and our gang unit. 

3. Knowledge Is Power

I am a firm believer that knowledge is power. Having knowledge in situations can help keep us calm and confident in a scary situation. Knowing what’s going on with the local laws, ordinances, whom to contact in case of a non-emergency, what happens when you call 911, etc, can help us all be a better community able to help each other and support our law enforcement. Taking this community class, you can learn things like:

What crime is affecting your city, specifically. (FYI Burbank…this is fraud for us) 

Know what laws have passed that affect that crime. (Read more HERE) 

Know what parts of your city has the most crime. 

Learn about active shooter training. 

Learn about what you can do to be an active community member.  

What is the non-emergency line. (818-238-3000)

Where do your call go when you dial 911 from a landline vs. a cell phone?

 Does your city have gangs? 

Are taggers and gangs connected? 

What is your city’s rate of homelessness and what resources does your city have to help.?

And so much more. Educate yourself…because knowledge is power. 

4. Put faces to the men and women protecting your home and family. 

I have a full understanding that the men and women serving our city in the blue uniform are humans. They have families, hobbies and stress outside of their jobs. As with any community you’d be involved in, get to know your officers and make connections with other officials in our community. Heck, start with your neighbors. Make sure you know your neighbors!
A great way to get to the officers in Burbank is to attend their monthly, Coffee With A Cop! 

Follow their Facebook page to stay informed. 

5. Gain a full understanding of how much your police department loves protecting their city. 

Let’s face it, it’s not an easy job being a cop right now. The bad ones really make it hard for the good ones to do their job. If there’s anything I took away from this community academy, it’s that our police officers are absolutely committed to Burbank and they love serving our community. I truly feel blessed to be protected by our department and highly recommend taking this class. 

For details on our Burbank Community Academy, click here. 

And no matter where you’re located, be sure to check with your local department to see if they offer this class for you!