Pct. 4 Citizen's Constable AcademyConstable Rowdy Hayden's Citizen’s Constable Academy is getting ready to wrap up its second 10 week program. This class is for citizens of the Montgomery County Pct. 4 area to enjoy learning about the ins and outs of the Pct. 4 Constable’s Office as well as local law enforcement and government offices.

This week, the students participated in a “Shoot/Don’t Shoot” Exercise. This particular part of the class puts the citizens in mock dangerous situations that police face daily. Participants are given simunition weapons that fire a hard soap-like projectiles. Deputies will be posing as the players in the exercise and carrying a handgun that fires only blanks. The participant will have to choose rather to shoot or don’t shoot. Pct. 4's own Sgt. Art Looza and Deputy Josh Brown portrayed two of the actors in the situations. They were helped by Captain James Andrew and Officer Roger Dearing, both of which are highly seasoned training supervisors on loan from Klein ISD. There were basically two simulated scenarios that offered multiple outcomes. The citizens had to approach a vehicle (traffic stop) in one case, and then diffuse a public threat outside of a business in the other. Besides the shoot/don't shoot scenarios, deputies had set up a mock crime scene for the citizens. They learned how officers handle collecting evidence and controlling the scene by Reserve Deputy Gene Barnett. Barnett also led a Q&A presentation on a shooting he was involved in (2011) that tied in perfectly with the "Shoot/Don't Shoot" segment of the academy. Everyone listened to him rehash all the emotions/actions on what was a very unfortunate day in Conroe. Original Story Below:www.chron.com/news/h ouston-texas/article /Conroe-officer-who- lost-eye-in-shoThere was so much learned by everyone (including myself) on the possible dangerous situations that our deputies face every single day, and just how quick-thinking they have to be. Not to mention the scrutiny they are under for every action they take...Or don't take. And they carry that responsibility with pride. The citizen's who participated in the class will graduate on Tuesday, March 29. Congratulations to them, and a huge thank you to Pct. 4 for offering this experience. If you'd like more information on how to enroll in the next Citizen's Constable Academy, please contact the program's coordinator - Sgt. Jim Slack: 281-577-8985