Chicken with the Chief Fundraiser: Successful and Fun!

April 1 at Ms. P’s Fried Chicken was our first fundraiser (this year!) and it was a big hit with everyone who was there – delicious food, a good crowd of people to visit with, plenty of time to interact with Chief Acevedo in a casual atmosphere, three great prize drawings, and our association benefited from the contributions and donations received.  We appreciate the participation of APD Chief Art Acevedo in this event and Ms. P’s Fried Chicken for serving up the great meal enjoyed by everyone.  The donated prizes were awarded to: Mag lite: Jean Whitehouse; Tickets to 100 Club Banquet: Lynn Harris; and Ride Out with Chief Acevedo: Esther Johnson.  A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who purchased tickets and came out to support APD and the ACPAAA!

Cadets Graduate on March 20

The Austin Police Department grew by 40 officers with their graduation from the Training Academy at Great Hills Baptist Church.  The reception for the graduates and their families, a crowd of 200+ proud folks, was provided by ACPAAA.  We are pleased to honor the new officers and wish them well as they join the other professional peace officers of APD.  We are grateful for these young women and men who have dedicated themselves to a life of public service and are happy to have them in Austin.

Nearly 100!!!

Yes, that’s right – there were almost 100 applications for the session of the APD Citizen Police Academy which began this month!  And over 80 people were accepted into this session.  Just a short three years ago, one CPA class had 19 people in it!  The Austin Police Department committed to holding two classes per week in order to accommodate all of the people who wanted to come and learn about APD.  This will require double work by the officers who instruct the classes and by Officer Scanlon in preparing, coordinating, and managing this large group for 14 weeks.  We appreciate their dedication and service to the CPA Program.  The 82nd class started on February 10 and the 83rd class started on February 12.  Chief Acevedo talked to attendees at both of the classes, with Chaplain Services as the topic of the presentation for the evening.

Officer Scanlon has continued to enhance the program, materials, and environment of the classes.  Participants now have free parking during their class time and classes have meals provided.  Generous donations come from a variety of restaurants and sponsors and are much appreciated by the participants.  For the 2015 class, APD provided the binders and is providing meals for about half of the class sessions.  This support for the CPA Program is vital to producing a high quality program for the people of Austin who attend the classes.

Want to donate to ACPAAA? Head over to our Donation page!

Austin Alumni Association Supports NNO 2014

SPO Scanlon and ACPAAA President Melinda Rodriguez at National Night Out 2014

SPO Scanlon and ACPAAA President Melinda Rodriguez at National Night Out 2014

At the citywide kick off event for 2014’s National Night Out celebration, the CPA Alumni Association participated as an exhibitor to provide information for the public on the Citizen Police Academy and on the services of the Alumni Association.  Our new association banner is a real eye-catcher and the table cover is perfect for displaying our free goodie bags and brochures.  The kick off event at Mueller Park featured static displays of equipment from public safety agencies in Central Texas including several from APD.  The SWAT vehicle, two robots, EMS ambulance, AFD education van, and the horses of the mounted patrol drew lots of attention from the large audience at the event.  In addition, many city departments and related vendors were on hand with exhibits and educational materials to distribute to attendees.  There was food, music, and lots of public safety officials to visit with!  National Night Out in Texas helps the public to focus on safety awareness, crime prevention, partnering with local law enforcement, and neighborhood unity by holding block parties throughout the area to bring residents together for this important civic activity.  Pictured are Officer Scanlon, CPA Coordinator, and Melinda Rodriguez, CPAAA President.

CPA Socials

Have you been to our Austin CPAAA social gatherings yet?  They are fun and a good opportunity to get to know each other (and libations and munchies!) at various locations around town.  Since the spring, we’ve been meeting on the 4th Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm for happy hour, most recently on August 28 at the Pluckers on Hwy. 183 in North Austin.  There is not a social planned for September 25th, but keep an eye out for update for the October social!

New CPA Class Coordinator Selected

Beginning this summer, the APD Citizen Police Academy is being coordinated by Senior Police Officer

Senior Police Officer Surei Scanlon and Alumni Association Vice President Susan Reed

Senior Police Officer Surei Scanlon and Alumni Association Vice President Susan Reed

Scanlon.  Officer Scanlon is highly experienced with her 15 years at APD and says she is looking forward to the opportunity to serve the people of Austin in the unique environment of the CPA Class.  Officer Scanlon has been working closely with the leadership of Austin CPAAA in preparation for the September class and in July participated in the Texas CPAAA and Law Enforcement Training Conference in San Marcos.  We welcome Officer Scanlon to her new position and are pleased to support her efforts with the APD CPA Program.

Association Members Attend Statewide Education Conference

ACPAAA Convention 2014

Alumni Association Members and SPO Scanlon at the 2014 Texas CPAAA Conference

Several members of the Austin Alumni Association attended the Texas CPAAA Conference and Law Enforcement Training Conference over the dates of July 27-29 at the Conference Center in San Marcos.  Special guest speakers and law enforcement professionals presented at informational sessions which gave attendees learning opportunities.  Groups discussions with experienced Academy and Alumni leaders afforded the chance to get ideas and learn about activities used in other cities.  The next Conference is scheduled for 2015 in El Paso.

Alumni Association Helps Recruit for CPA Class

Spreading the word to the citizens of Austin about the benefits of attending the CPA Class is an important activity and recent Commander’s Forums gave the chance to educate attendees about the Class.  Melinda Rodriguez and SPO Scanlon made presentations over the summer to recruit for the September class, which received 73 applications.  Increasing attendance at the classes to help build understanding of the police department can improve public safety in Austin.