By Jim Bloch
Amid the end-of-semester season, a different kind of graduation recently took place in St. Clair.
Police Chief Donovon Ennis presented 17 people with certificates of achievement for completing the 11-week Citizens Police Academy.
Ennis acknowledged the accomplishments of the participants at the regular meeting of the St. Clar City Council, May 18.
“I’m fortunate enough to work at a police department where we can host a citizen’s academy every year,” said Chief Donovon Ennis. “This is the fourth year hosting the academy. We open it up to city and township residents. We open our doors and show you what we’re all about. We give you some of our training. We give some of our education and put you in our shoes to see what law enforcement deals with every day. We wear many hats. We’ve got make split second decisions. We’ve got be counsel workers. We’ve got to be parents. We’ve got to be good community leaders. Every year, we hope (the participants) have a good experience.”
The recipients included Aaron Poplawski, Dave Hillis, Dawn Jones, Dawn Malave, Francie Allagreen, Gail Silvernail, Greg Dixon, Jacob Jerome, Lorie Arcnd, Mark Allagreen, Olivia Brody, Racki Kuechenmeister, Samantha Roddis, Sarah Sedmak, Sean Cleland, Tabitha Balduck and Thomas Witrens.
This year the program ran Feb. 10-April 28, meeting 6-9 p.m. on Tuesdays. Typically, the program covers criminal law and St. Clair County Prosecutors office; the Drug Task Force; subject control; police K-9s; arrest/handcuffing procedures; the Special Response Team; Major Crimes Unit; crime scene processing and evidence collection; OWI investigations; mock crime scene; frauds/scams; a tour of St. Clair County Jail and Central Dispatch; and criminal investigation and building searches.
The citizens academy functions as a prerequisite for the SCPD’s Public Safety Volunteers program and several graduates from the academy join the PSV. “They help out at parades,” Ennis said. “They give tons of volunteer hours.”
Public Safety Volunteers worked the parade on May 16 that preceded the grand opening of Klecha Park and its splash pad for the season.
“They just want to help out St. Clair,” Ennis said.
Ennis thanked the SCPD’s two sergeants, corporal, clerk and seven officers for their commitment to the program.
Two new cadets
For the first time since 2019, the SCPD is using summer cadets. Ennis introduced the two new cadets to the city council and expressed hope that they would one day join the department as officers. Dylan Moses, a St. Clair Twp. resident, is a graduate of Marysville High who is now studying business at St. Clair County Community College. Carter Schulte, a resident of Cottrellville Twp., graduated from Marine City High and is studying criminal justice at the college. They will be on foot patrol in the parks and Riverview Plaza during concerts and will zip around town on the department’s new e-bikes.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
