The Grover Beach Police Department is on a mission to connect the community to its day-to-day functions through an eight-week long Citizen Police Academy.
Grover Beach is one of the only police departments in the county to host this event, and Police Cmdr. Nelida Aceves said the department will take residents behind the scenes for the first time in 10 years in an effort to promote transparency, answer questions, and educate the public about what police actually do.
The course, which will begin March 5 from 6 until 9 p.m., will offer hands-on activities and discussions with officers. By the end of the academy, the department hopes that attendees will have gained a better understanding of the role the police play in maintaining public safety.
“It’ll start from a station tour to going over the city cameras that we have, to patrol functions,” Aceves said. “There will be opportunities for them to learn about our drone program and to fly some of our drones.”
Each week the academy will focus on a new department within the police station. Week one starts with an introduction, followed by courses on drones and traffic information, and attendees will have a “graduation” and the opportunity to chat with Grover Beach Police Chief Jim Munro.
“It’ll go into what DUI investigations entail, what our major accident investigation team is about, our CAT team, they’ll get to see all of our equipment, our SWAT, the crisis negotiation team, our command post, equipment, and resources that are available to us,” Aceves said. “There’s going to be a day where we invite other resources, just so that they can see how we network within law enforcement agencies as well.”
Participants will also get a chance to have hands-on experience in a safe and controlled environment and a show and tell of additional tools they use in the field, Aceves said.
The academy will accommodate 25 interested community members who can sign up at groverbeach.org.
Once the application is filled out, residents can either return it to the Grover Beach Police Department in person or email it to police@gbpd.org.
Attendees need to be 18 or older, and applications must be submitted by Jan. 31.
“I would like to encourage anybody who’s curious about it to please feel free to reach out. I’m more than willing to answer any type of question or concern,” Aceves said.
Fast facts
• From Jan. 20 to 26, Pismo Beach is hosting the SLO CAL Open World Surf League competition alongside a pro junior event that will showcase the world’s most talented surfers at the pier. “This event is a major stop for our competitors, and Visit SLO CAL and Surfing For Hope along with other key sponsors continue to deliver each year at Pismo Beach,” World Surf League North America Tour Manager Brian Robbins told New Times. “We’ve been welcomed back each year since 2017, and it’s a special place to have one of our pivotal events to help these athletes chase their dreams. This coming week looks to be fun conditions for everyone to come check it out and watch some incredible surfing leading up to our big finish next Sunday.” For more information, visit worldsurfleague.com.
• The Arroyo Grande High School Eagle Athletic Foundation will hold its annual Hall of Fame Dinner on Feb. 1 where it will add five new members who have contributed to the high school in various capacities. They will include four past student-athletes and one coach. The event is open to the public and will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets will be $100 per person, and those who are interested or have questions about the event can reach out to eafhof@gmail.com. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Samantha Herrera at sherrera@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 23 – Feb 2, 2025.