North Huntingdon Citizens Police Academy gives residents glimpse of cop's duties

Decked out in an armored vest, utility belt, helmet with visor and an AR-15 rifle slung over her shoulder, Nicky O’Bryon felt the weight and strain experienced by police officers when they are outfitted to handle crises.

The North Huntingdon mother of two boys and a girl was surrounded by two members of the North Huntingdon’s Special Response Team who wear the equipment in real-life emergencies — Sgt. William Kauffman and Lt. Carl Steinkopf. O’Bryon was demonstrating the gear to her fellow classmates in the North Huntingdon Citizens Police Academy at the municipal Town House.

“I just wanted to learn about what they do,” O’Bryon said of her reason for joining in the eight-week program, which offers about a dozen women a glimpse into the life of a police officer.

The community outreach of the township’s police department is designed “to foster better understanding between citizens and police through education,” said Officer Anna Jandric, one of the organizers of the Citizens Police Academy. They see what officers do during a traffic stop and domestic disputes, for example, Jandric said.

“Each week, I’m impressed with how much the police department does,” said Joanna Klamut of Ardara.

During a recent session, Sgt. Justin Wardman, supervisor for the Special Response Team that was formed in 2004, told the class the SRT is used primarily to assist law enforcement agents serving warrants, such as the Westmoreland County and state Attorney General’s drug task forces. Wardman, one of the department’s K-9 officers, uses his police dog Rocco with the SRT.

“We can be called up for anything,” Wardman said, including providing plain clothes security at a recent rally in Westmoreland County for Vice President Mike Pence. The most important priority in training is “safety, safety, safety,” Steinkopf said.

The women also saw a police dog demonstration led by Sgt. Kari Bauer, a veteran K-9 officer who put Zargo through drug-detecting drills. The dog found marijuana packed in a metal container, hidden among a stack of chairs.

“We try to train the dog for anything you can find on the street,” said Bauer, a K-9 officer since 1992.

Another participant, Caitlin Cronin, a teacher, was intrigued enough that she wanted to learn what police do on the job.

When people learn about what the officers do, “everyone benefits from enhancing citizen and community understanding of the role and function of their local police department,” Jandric said.