Cicero — Over the last few months, I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the first Cicero Citizens Police Academy (CCPA).

I learned a lot about the history and role of law enforcement in Central New York and got to visit places the average Central New Yorker doesn’t usually get to see — the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office’s heliport and the Onondaga County Justice Center were two of the highlights of the CCPA.

While I’ve come away from the class with a new respect for the boys and girls in blue, I wish I had learned more practical ways to handle an emergency. My favorite parts of the class were hands-on demonstrations, such as the self-defense techniques John Annable of Karate John’s Martial Arts taught us in our final class.

I appreciated that nearly two dozen law enforcement officers and professionals from all over Onondaga County donated their time to give us a look at what they do every day to keep us safe. We visited the Onondaga County Justice Center and were treated to the same meal the inmates eat on the same battered gray trays. We watched Sgt. Jim Snell demonstrate his Taser — though he declined one very eager volunteer’s offer to be zapped in the name of education.

The coordinators of the CCPA urged the class to apply the Cicero Police Department’s Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) program. VIPS members assist the CPD with security checks, traffic control, neighborhood watch and other duties. While VIPS members receive 25 hours of training, we had 15 weeks of in-class lectures and field trips, but I don’t have many new skills to show for it.

I can tell you how much OCSO’s helicopter weighs (4,300 pounds, if you were curious), but what can I do to protect myself and assist law enforcement during an active shooter situation? How do I approach my next-door neighbor if I think she’s in a domestic violence situation?

continued — Mass shootings are happening roughly every day in the United States, and tensions run high between police agencies and the communities they serve. I’m thankful and impressed that law enforcement officers in Central New York are able to keep us safe in the face of dwindling resources and staff cuts. But if the Cicero Police Department really wants to cultivate an atmosphere of community policing, the CCPA should teach average citizens how to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.

I learned a lot from our trip to the Onondaga County 911 Center. We listened to harrowing recordings of real 911 calls, including a domestic violence incident and a house fire. Thankfully, I’ve never had to call 911, but hearing what the dispatchers handle dozens of times per shift gave me a better idea of how to convey information about an emergency most effectively.

I also learned about the 911 Center’s “Text-to-911” initiative, which was launched in early 2014. If your cellphone carrier is one of the big four — Verizon Wireless, Sprint, AT&T or T-Mobile — you can exchange text messages with 911 operators. While it’s not foolproof, it’s helpful if you are in a situation where making a voice call could put you in danger, such as a shooting or a domestic dispute.

As a true crime junkie and a community journalist, I learned a lot about the legal process and the law enforcement agencies in Onondaga County through the CCPA. The Cicero Police Department will offer another academy in the future, and I encourage interested Cicero residents to sign up. I hope future students get the chance for more hands-on adventures.