(SAN RAMON) -- City of San Ramon holds multiple programs, one of which is highly recommended is the San Ramon Community Academy, previously known as the Citizens Academy (As corrected by "Bill D on Nextdoor").
It is now available for the Spring Session.
Community Academy - City of San Ramon is slated to start Feb. 11 and conclude on May 13. I was a recent participant in the community academy in the Fall of 2025. A long 13-week program, every Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Based on my personal experience, the most interesting learning points included:
(Photo: San Ramon Community Academy)
1. How the 911 call center is routed and how dispatch works, showing long shift hours and exciting engagement with callers.
2. Fire Department and paramedics, preparedness, including a tour of the latest fire equipment and vehicles.
3. Riding along with officers on routine patrol, an experience where we learned how a small staff of six officers and six paramedics are available 24/7 to be in a position to support a huge population of 85,000.
(Photo: San Ramon Community Academy)
4. Meeting the investigative team who work with various other departments to solve cases that need coordination, especially highlighting how the retail theft gang was tracked until most of the gang members were captured.
5. Understanding different types of narcotics and the impact on the community members and their families was very educational, especially how the department is working with different agencies in identifying the sources, capturing, and disposing of the captured illegal drugs.
(Photo: San Ramon Community Academy)
6. The most exciting part was a visit to the Shooting Range, where we were given hands-on training on using a Shotgun, AR-15 15 and Revolver. Many came across a firearm for the first time, including me.
7. Visit to the Martinez Detention Facility, where the officers gave us a tour. We saw how inmates assist in running the facility, including kitchen duties. The most challenging part of learning here was how few law enforcement officers Contra Costa County has. Almost all officers were working on 12 to 16-hour shifts, which takes an extraordinary toll on their families.
8. Real-life scenarios of crime scenes were another interesting area where many of the participants did exceptionally well.
9. Alcohol effects and DUI. This was interesting as a couple of officers had a real-life demonstration of alcohol's impact. One thing that really made an impact was "Eyes Never Lie." It's extremely hard for intoxicated people to hide the intoxication in their eyes.
(Photo: San Ramon Community Academy)
San Ramon is not the only Golden State city that opens its doors to citizen learning.
West Sacramento is also offering an academy, accepting applications now. I highly recommend this program to all the community members. Its long but again its free for residents and a program supported by City of San Ramon for its residents.
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