Police Reserve Officer Program Featured at First Thursday

St. Helens officer shows reserve academy students crime scene techniques using fluorescent light.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18 2019

 

ST. HELENS, OR -- In June 2019, the St. Helens Police Department concluded its fifth reserve academy. Four new reserve officers graduated from the academy. They spent six months and over 180 hours of intensive training learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become a reserve officer with the St. Helens Police Department.

On Thursday, August 1, the St. Helens Reserve Program will be featured at the Department’s monthly First Thursday meeting. Community members are invited to attend the 7 p.m. meeting to hear from a few of the newest St. Helens reserve officers. The officers will share what it’s like to attend the reserve academy and work as a reserve officer.

St. Helens officers who organize the program will give a brief overview of the St. Helens reserve academy training which covers many of the same topics that full-time police officers study in their required State of Oregon training. Attendees will also learn about the jobs that reserve officers perform for the St. Helens Police Department.

Many of the reserve officers who have graduated from the St. Helens academy are successfully hired as full-time officers at police agencies around the region.

First Thursday is a monthly community meeting with the St. Helens Police Department held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. The meeting takes place in the Columbia Center Auditorium, 375 S. 18th Street, St. Helens.

A new topic is presented at each meeting by a police officer or police staff related to community safety, crime prevention, police services, or seasonal-specific safety information. After a brief presentation, participants have the opportunity to ask St. Helens officers questions, find out what’s happening in St. Helens neighborhoods, and discuss any topics of concern with fellow community members and police.

The goal of First Thursday is to bring the St. Helens community and local law enforcement together once a month for meaningful conversation about the community. The meetings are an opportunity to make connections in the community, not just between police officers and residents, but also between neighbors.

The vision of the St. Helens Police Department is to provide professional police services that will secure public trust and keep our neighborhoods safe and free of crime. Our mission is to work with all citizens to make our city a place where people live safely and to promote individual responsibility and community commitment. 

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For further information regarding the St. Helens Police Department’s First Thursday program, please contact Communications Officer Crystal Farnsworth at crystalf@ci.st-helens.or.us or 503-366-8215.