TROY, Ala, (TROJANVISION) — Residents got a closer look at how law enforcement handles real-world situations during the second session of the Troy Police Department’s (TPD) Citizens Police Academy.

The session focused on patrol and corrections, giving attendees a hands-on introduction to some of the tools officers use in the field, including spike strips designed to stop vehicles. Captain Sanford Wingard demonstrated how the devices work, addressing a common misconception about their use. 

“What I showed was a tire that had been spiked,” Wingard said. “What I wanted to demonstrate was the way that the spikes are designed to work. 

“Most people think that when a vehicle is spiked, the tires explode. It’s actually designed to make the air leave the tire in a slow, controlled fashion.” 

The demonstration highlighted the department’s emphasis on precision and safety when responding to potentially dangerous situations. 

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“Everything that we do, we try to do it as safely as we can,” Wingard said. “We try not to be reckless about anything because that’s how people get hurt. We want to go about doing our job in a safe, professional manner.” 

Wingard said building trust through transparency is a key goal of the Citizens Police Academy, which aims to strengthen relationships between officers and the community. 

“An informed citizenry is a good one,” he said. “If they understand what we’re doing and how we’re trying to do it, and that we’re putting in effort to keep them safe, then that works out well for everybody.” 

The next session of the academy will highlight the department’s special operations division, emergency response team and K-9 unit. Session three is scheduled for April 9 at 6 p.m. at the Troy Municipal Courtroom.