Burbank police course looks to the community

More than 50 people graduated from Burbank’s nine-week community police academy on Thursday, making it the largest class since the program began more than a decade ago.

Among them was Ardashes Azizian, who has completed the academy twice, this time with his 20-year-old son, Menooa, who is considering a career in law enforcement.

Former participants have shared their experience in the program via social media and word-of-mouth, which has contributed to its growth, said Burbank police officer and class instructor Joshua Kendrick.

PHOTOS: Burbank police applaud community academy graduates

In fact, Ardashes Azizian recruited more than a dozen people to take the class this fall.

“It’s very necessary,” he said, adding that he’s also a trained member of Burbank’s emergency response team and volunteers for other local law-enforcement agencies.

Both participants and police officials said the program has helped foster community relations.

“As a kid, everyone growing up doesn’t really like cops,” Menooa Azizian said. “Whenever you do this program, it shows what kind of people they are in the department — these people truly care.”

The class has also been offered in Spanish, Armenian and for the deaf.

“Everybody deserves the same level of police service,” said Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse. “There are some segments of the community where people are distrustful of us or are apprehensive about opening up to us — those are the ones we need to open our arms up to.”

Among the favorite activities for the 55 graduates was a field trip up to the department’s firing range, where they watched a K-9 demonstration, saw a helicopter land and took a look inside a SWAT-armored vehicle.

Burbank’s K-9 unit, Steevo, showed participants how he locates narcotics and firearms. In one demonstration, Kendrick donned a “bite suit” — a thick suit officers wear while training dogs — to assume the role of a fleeing suspect, at which point Steevo clamped onto his arm to keep him from getting away.

“How (K-9s) are used in the force is something I find really fascinating,” said 24-year-old graduate German Garcia. “Training an animal to have a human responsibility is pretty amazing in my mind.”

Police officials plan to host another community academy in the spring.