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Show Pleasant Grove Police Association Marked One Year Anniversary '.j. " "V .V r' v. Si by Geri Taylor January marked the one-year one-year anniversary of the Pleasant Grove Police Association, Asso-ciation, an organization created cre-ated to accomplish a variety of goals such as acquiring equipment, officer training train-ing and causes like Sub for Santa. Captain Mike Smith envisioned his force offering services that would benefit the community without using us-ing the city budget to fund the projects. Organized with a few basic goals in mind, members mem-bers of the association have already seen new ideas translate into successful ventures. The suggestion to offer a concealcarry class came from one of the officers offi-cers and will likely become one of their premier undertakings. under-takings. The fact that the concealcarry con-cealcarry classes are taught by police makes this course unique in several ways. They bring an enforcement standpoint and working knowledge of the law which provides a better education, with emphasis on certain areas ar-eas of the law. The $50 fee is also very competitive, but unlike other concealcarry courses, PG's includes fingerprinting, fin-gerprinting, photograph, application and copy of the course curriculum on site. The officers teaching the course expressed surprise that many students don't understand the basic fundamentals funda-mentals of shooting, which prompted plans for a basic handgun and skills instruction instruc-tion course. Captain Smith, along with his officers, feel strongly that if you're going to carry a gun, the responsible respon-sible thing is to know how to use it. A convenient location lo-cation for this class is being discussed. For many years the Strawberry Days 5K run was sponsored by an outside entity, enti-ty, with Pleasant Grove police providing overtime enforcement enforce-ment during the race. The proposal to join forces with the fire department and host the run themselves, proved to be a successful and much less costly venture last year. The officers, who secured roads and patrolled the "Guns and Hoses" event, volunteered their time for the association cause, and the money earned stayed in our city. Hunter safety is another area of concern the association associa-tion plans to address. Captain Cap-tain Smith noted how important impor-tant it is for police officers to have interaction with the children of the community so they become a positive influence in-fluence in their lives. With more boys and girls trained in gun safety, the less likely they are to have gun related accidents. Smith stated, "Often it's the kids who haven't been trained, who want to grab their dad's gun. Those who have been educated, edu-cated, know the dangers and have a healthy respect for what it is." The NOVA program has replaced DARE and is being taught in the 6th grades by officers of-ficers who talk about drugs, being safe, making good choices and the importance of picking good friends. Gun safety is also addressed during dur-ing these sessions. In the relatively short time since the association was organized, it is evident evi-dent that department morale mo-rale has increased. With budgets being cut, one of the first things to go was last year's city Christmas party. Through the association, associa-tion, the police were able to fund their own celebration, which included a nice dinner with awards presented, then renting a theatre at the Water Wa-ter Garden 's with popcorn and drinks for all. "I think it's huge to be able to bring everyone together in a non-stressful, non-stressful, non-work environ- Pleasant Grove Police Association President Mike Smith and Presidentelect President-elect Linda Chipman. Photo courtesy of Geri Taylor ment and have a good time," stated Captain Smith. The association members come from the police force and civilians who work in the department, all paying dues to help fund the various vari-ous projects. As they grow, they plan to take on bigger projects, continue to improve morale and most importantly, provide for themselves. In a time of "what's in it for me", it is reassuring to see our own police force turn the tables and give back to the community. commu-nity. The community stands to be benefited as they support sup-port the Pleasant Grove Police Po-lice Association. |