Community members turned students for the Slidell Police Department’s first Citizens Academy since 2019 finished out their course with a bang, literally. A SWAT team intervention simulation and a spirited demonstration by members of the K-9 team capped off the course.

The Slidell Police Department had held a six-week class each year since 2009 until the COVID pandemic put a temporary halt to the program. Police Chief Randy Fandal reintroduced the initiative this year as part of his goal to have good police-community relationships.

“The citizens' academy offers people the opportunity to come and learn what we do. We educate them about the different divisions in our department and how they work. Then they can then take that knowledge and share it out in the community,” he said.

The studen

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