Academy gives senior citizens insight into law enforcement

Clark County

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November 21, 2009

Officials say program builds trust between seniors, police

By MATT THACKER The News and Tribune Sat Nov 21, 2009, 05:25 PM EST

A group of Southern Indiana residents have been learning about narcotics investigations, crime scene technology and crash reconstruction over the past month, but the students at this academy are not new police officers. They are all over 60 years old.

“You’re never too old to learn something new,” said 71-year-old Terry Sklodoski, of New Albany.

The Senior Citizens Academy at the Indiana State Police post in Sellersburg is a joint effort by ISP and Southern Indiana TRIAD, a group dedicated to reducing the victimization of the elderly.

“This is the first time in the history of the Indiana State Police we’ve had a citizens academy,” said Sgt. Jerry Goodin, public information officer for ISP. “This is a pilot program, so it’s only in Sellersburg. Obviously, it’s been hugely successful.”

Goodin said the effort is meant to build trust between senior citizens and law enforcement. He said senior citizens are targeted by criminals more than any other group.

Goodin notes that the program is not intended to train citizens to be police officers but to give insight into what police officers do.

“It’s good to know that they’re not just out there looking for criminals, but they’re there to help you too,” said Charlie Marking, 78, of Lanesville. “If you have a flat tire or something, they will stop and help you.”

The classes began on Oct. 24, and the final class will be Wednesday with a graduation ceremony to follow. The program consisted of five classes, and each one has had between 14 and 20 people, Goodin said.

“Every day has been uplifting,” said 76-year-old David Tomerlin, of Clarksville. “I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.”

He said he was most amazed to learn how many different ways people can make methamphetamine and other drugs. He also was interested in hearing stories about the history of ISP, such as how troopers used to stuff newspapers under their shirts to stay warm when they rode motorcycles during the winter.

One of the highlights of the class came after the dive team gave a presentation on Nov. 11. Two days later, members of the class saw photographs of the divers in the newspaper attempting to recover three vehicles that were found in the Ohio River.

At the last session, the class learned about auto theft, police pursuits and police firearms training, and they saw a K-9 demonstration and video or a police cruiser wrecking at a high-rate of speed. Experts spoke at each session.

The questions from the class ranged from how to obtain a gun permit to which type of car is most stolen. The answers, according to the experts, were to fill out an application at the local sheriff’s department and the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

Julie Taylor Wilson, development director for LifeSpan Resources, was instrumental in organizing the program after it was suggested by ISP. The classes were not advertised because they wanted to keep them small.

“Next time, we hope to have more people, but it was nice having smaller class sizes where everyone could talk and ask questions,” Wilson said.

Goodin said no decision has been made on whether to have the academy again, but Wilson said she hopes it becomes an annual event.

“I think it’s important that seniors are comfortable with the police and comfortable knowing that if they have a problem, they can call the police,” Wilson said.

Sklodoski’s wife, 64-year-old Jinny, said she believes the academy would also be perfect for children to teach them about law enforcement.

“I think it’s the duty of every citizen to know what law enforcement officers do,” Terry Sklodoski added.