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Here’s the scenario: A house party has gotten out of control. Loud music and an escalating argument between two partygoers have the neighbors complaining. A call is made to the city’s police department.

In this domestic disturbance scenario, Edwardsville Police Capt. Gerald Cullumber says, there are a few criteria every police officer must follow: One, establish whether there are any weapons involved; two, separate the two having the argument; and three, never turn your back on your partner.

Edwardsville residents learned about these tips and more during Tuesday night’s session of Edwardsville Police Department’s inaugural Citizen Police Academy. The academy kicked off Sept. 27 and has been meeting weekly ever since. Attendees will graduate from the academy next week.

Sessions have included training on criminal investigations, latent print lifting, firearm safety and defensive tactics. Academy participants even took a tour of the Wyandotte County Adult Detention Center.

“I hope that they have a better understanding of really what we do and that we do it to protect people and their property,” Sheila Rogoza, a sergeant with the Edwardsville Police Department, said of her goal for the 18 Edwardsville residents who took part in the academy. She, with the help of Cullumber, organized and ran the academy. “You know, not that we’re just out there to be there. It’s not just about writing tickets. I’m hoping it brings us closer together.”

Edwardsville Police Chief Mark Mathies said organizing an academy was brought up during the department’s annual goal-setting discussions in January. He said he wanted to beef up community policing initiatives, which thus far had only included the D.A.R.E. and Neighborhood Watch programs.

“We’re trying to connect and network with our community to educate them about what we do, and at the same time, formulate some partnerships, if you will,” Mathies said, noting that “the more educated our citizens are” the more equipped they are to handle those situations when a police officer would be necessary.

Tuesday night’s session had participants and several Edwardsville police officers switch roles. The actual police officers re-created several high-stress and low-stress scenarios, with the participants tasked to intervene just as a police officer would. Cullumber and Rogoza were on hand to give tips and offer advice.

One low-stress scenario involved a custody dispute between a child’s father and the mother’s boyfriend. Most of the high-stress scenarios were domestic disturbance situations, such as a fight at a loud party or a fight between two neighbors over a dog being shot.

Cullumber said domestic disturbances are some of the most dangerous calls officers will respond to in the line of duty.

“Because they’re unpredictable, they’re just unpredictable,” he said. “You’re walking into situations … that, you know, tempers and anxieties are already high. Tensions are high. Emotional. And, I mean, when you mix all those and combine those things together, they can become very volatile … you’re just never sure of who you’re dealing with.”

Participant Harold Foreman, who forgot Cullumber’s tip on always keeping your eye on your partner, only gave himself a “fair” grade for how he did as an officer responding to a domestic disturbance call. But Foreman said he enjoyed walking in the shoes of an authority figure.

“Well, for one thing … having the authority to stop a situation, ’cause you imagine that you have police clothes on and you need to stop the situation, you know, keep the peace,” Foreman said. “It was neat.”

Foreman, who moved to Edwardsville two years ago with his wife, said he signed up for the academy to “get to know the town and the people that live in it.” He said the experience has opened his eyes to what a day in the life of a police officer is really like.

“Well, you learn a lot about what the police do and what situations, like tonight, what they go through every day,” Foreman said. “It’s not just drive around in cars. They have other things that they have to do that are kind of scary and dangerous … so it just gives you an eye opener of what can happen and what they do go through — even though you see it on TV.”

Mathies said the reaction had been so positive the department planned to schedule another academy next year.

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