Law Enforcement

911�� Citizen’s Police Academy builds camaraderie and ‘squad goals’

lclarkg — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:54:47 +0000

911�� Citizen’s Police Academy builds camaraderie and ‘squad goals’ lclarkg Tue, 06/16/2026 - 11:54

On a quiet Tuesday evening on 911��’s Fairfax Campus, Police Chief Carl Rowan addressed a group at the Police and Safety Headquarters, praising a community member who took extraordinary action to help victims in a crisis.

Those listening were participants in 911��’s Citizen’s Police Academy, who were learning about DUI enforcement that night. Each week of the 10-week program highlighted a different part of police work, building connections between the 911�� Police Department and the community it serves.

911�� Citizen's Police Academy. Photo by Nathan G.

After witnessing an on-campus motor vehicle collision caused by an impaired driver, said Rowan, the attending community member offered aid and comfort to injured victims.

“He remained with those in need and provided assistance until emergency responders arrived,” said Rowan. “In recognition of his selfless actions and exemplary service to others during a critical incident, the 911�� Police Department proudly presents this Citizen Service Award.”

This moment was a glimpse into the magnitude of topics covered at the Citizen’s Police Academy, which brings law enforcement and community members together to make the university a safe place to learn, live, and work.

Participants practiced speed enforcement on campus. Photo by Emily Ross/911�� Police

Citizen’s police academies are popular in communities nationwide. The inaugural program at 911�� was open to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Sessions covered a range of topics, including professional standards for law enforcement; visits to the local jail and firing range; presentations about victim services, mental health, and forensic science; demonstrations from units like the Special Response Team (SRT), K-9, and Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones; and more. Guest speakers from local law enforcement agencies also participated, highlighting how different agencies collaborate and rely on each other.

“I have found our Citizen’s Police Academy to be a gamechanger in allowing our police staff to interact with our community on a much deeper level and gain a mutual comfort outside day-to-day routine law enforcement services,” said Assistant Chief Emily Ross, who led the program. “As a result, we have learned so much about our community: their values, perceptions, needs, and ideas.”

The inaugural cohort included nine faculty and staff, two students, and one parent of a current 911�� student.

Participants took a ride in the 911�� Police Department's tactical vehicle. Photo by Don Vaughn

Etlin Elainna Flores, community director in Housing and Residence Life, applied for the program because she was interested in meeting campus partners and learning more about different aspects of law enforcement.

“The most memorable part was when we got to ride in the armored truck,” said Flores.

Building relationships with the community is a critical part of police work. The program goes far beyond what any open house, community event, or transactional interaction could accomplish, according to Ross.

“While those one-time and periodic recurring collaborations are beneficial to police-community relations, this program brings together police departments and their communities in a much deeper way,” said Ross.

911�� Police K-9 unit demonstration. Photo by Emily Ross/911�� Police

Participants heard firsthand accounts of the experiences of law enforcement officers and gained insights into the demands of the job.

“Even though I knew this going into the Citizen’s Police Academy, I’m continually surprised by the complexity of the job,” said Justin Ramsdell, professor in the Department of Psychology. “Aside from the natural difficulties that arise when it’s one’s job to deal with people having a ‘bad day’ due to victimization, mental illness, or arrest, there are also so many laws and regulations that govern one’s professional behavior.”

For a law enforcement officer, every step of the criminal process—from arrest to booking, investigation, case preparation, and ultimately testifying in court—can affect the outcome of a case. Apart from criminal processes, the program also taught participants about the planning, preparedness, and training that are required in law enforcement.

DUI enforcement demonstration. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“Week after week, the program deepened my appreciation for the complexity of public safety and reinforced the importance of mutual understanding across the university and the broader community,” said Jen Flammia, office manager and assistant to the dean in the Office of Admissions. “It gave me a clearer view of the work that happens behind the scenes and the thought, preparation, and coordination involved in keeping a campus community safe.”

This is exactly the result Ross was hoping for when she started the program.

“My hope is to humanize the badge and instill increased confidence in our community members in their roles as advocates in helping connect others with their local law enforcement,” said Ross. “As a result of the program, they all have a deeper knowledge to provide guidance to victims and survivors of crimes and those who are fearful of police or hesitant to reach out for help on their own.”

Citizen's Police Academy members got a close-up look at police drones. Photo by Emily Ross/911�� Police

Back at the Police and Safety Headquarters, the class went out to the parking lot for a demonstration of roadside DUI enforcement, including field sobriety tests and handheld preliminary breath test (PBT) machines. After the demonstration, the group gathered and reflected on the information they had learned.

As the session ended, a call came through the radio. Two officers quickly got into their patrol cars to respond to an incident on west campus.

“Can I come along?” one of the participants asked. After an affirmative response, he hopped into the back seat for a ride along. The night’s lesson was not over yet.

The 911�� Citizen’s Police Academy will continue in fall 2026, and applications are available to join the next cohort.

Field trip to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Photo by Sisc Johnson/School of Art

Learn more about the 911�� Police Department

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Law Enforcement

At Mason-led conference, forensic science experts offer training and insight for rural practitioners

sholla4 — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 14:13:26 +0000

At Mason-led conference, forensic science experts offer training and insight for rural practitioners sholla4 Mon, 09/11/2023 - 10:13

Walking into a lecture hall to a PowerPoint about a homicide is startling for those unacquainted with the intricacies of forensic sciences. For an audience of medical examiners, law enforcement, and prosecutors at the 2023 National Center on Forensics Conference, it’s just another day on the job.

Jay King of Chesapeake Search Dogs, with Skyler the spaniel, was among the presenters at the 2023 National Center on Forensics conference on Mason's SciTech Campus.
Photo by Sarah Holland/911��

The conference was the culminating event of the National Institute of Justice’s $2 million grant to 911�� and its partners to create the National Center on Forensics. With sessions on topics like “Challenges in Homicide Cases Involving Native Americans and Rural Areas,” and discussions of new methodologies like genetic genealogy and the role of canines in the investigative process, the conference aimed to help a wide community of medical and legal practitioners in rural areas learn how to solve these efficiently and effectively utilizing current forensic analysis techniques.

“Smaller agencies—like those in rural areas—don't have the resources to get the same level of training on emerging techniques and technologies as those agencies in urban areas like Fairfax County,” said Joseph DiZinno, associate professor of forensic science at Mason and PI on the grant. “We hope to remedy that through events like this conference.”

“Introducing rural departments to new technologies and methodologies and demonstrating their implementation has already had a huge impact,” said Kayla Wallace, coroner liaison for the Montana Forensic Science Division, one partner on the grant. “Many of our attendees have not had access to these tools before, and we hope to see them continue to implement in the future.”

Attendees at the conference at the SciTech Campus heard from experts in forensic pathology, several areas of forensic science, and criminal law like Cece Moore, leading genetic genealogist; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who served as special prosecutor for the Derek Chauvin case; and Matthew Gamette, laboratory system director for the Idaho State Police Forensic Services, who worked on the recent Idaho State murders case.

To ensure that as many practitioners as possible have access to this education and training, conference panels were recorded and will be available online.

From left: Joseph DiZinno, Dan Milner, Kayla Wallace, and Mike Kuykendall.
Photo by Evan Cantwell/911��

“Our rural attendees don’t have many opportunities to talk to other practitioners about the complex issues and challenges they face," said Dan Milner, consultant pathologist for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists—one of the grant partners—and executive director of the Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition. “There’s a lot of discussion after the sessions and lots of questions being asked, both with panelists and amongst the attendees. They're really taking advantage of being in the same room as their colleagues.”

Mike Kuykendall, director of the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General, the third partner on the grant, noted the importance of networking the conference provided. “The contacts they’ve made here can impact the rest of their careers.”

In addition to engaging medico-legal practitioners, the conference provided experiential learning opportunities for forensic science students at Mason through the planning and running of the conference. Students had the opportunity to build their resumes, hear directly from renowned experts, and meet active practitioners in all areas of forensic science.

“To be around experts and active practitioners so early in my career was surreal,” said Mariana Cruz, BS Forensic Science ’23, who is currently working on her master’s in forensic science. “I was making incredible connections, as well as really seeing how every part of the process—from medical examiners up through the court systems—must work together to solve these cases.”

Lorena Garcia, a junior in Mason’s forensic science program who grew up near a rural area in North Carolina, has firsthand experience seeing the discrepancies in resources between urban and rural offices. “This conference was so important because rural sheriffs have little to no funding and so many barriers,” she said. Garcia has made friends within the sheriff’s office of her hometown of Smithfield, and when she returned home after the conference, she said, “One of the officers told me I was learning more than some of the people in the office had experienced in their lifetime. She told me, ‘You’re going to change the world.’”