UAPD to Host Community Day

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ­— Are police departments really like what you see on television shows such as “Blue Bloods,” “Law and Order,” or “Chicago P.D.”?

Not really, according to University of Alabama police officer Daniel Mosley.

“If we could solve crimes within an hour like they do on TV, we’d be wonderful,” Mosley said. “Sometimes we’ll get lucky, but sometimes it takes a lot of work-hours to figure out what happened with a particular crime.”

In order to help the community better understand how the UA Police Department operates, UAPD is hosting Community Day Friday, Aug. 30, at the University Police Center, 1110 Jackson Ave.

“Community Day is an open house,” Mosley said. “We want to invite the University community to come in and see what the police department is all about.”

UAPD officers will host two information sessions: one at 9 a.m. and the other at noon. Mosley said each session should last about 1½ hours.

During each session, officers will give a taser demonstration, as well as offer demonstrations of police motorcycles and patrol cars. Community members can take a close-up look at the equipment officers use every day.

Also, police K-9 and their handlers will demonstrate how they search for and detect explosives.

Mosley said the department is constantly looking for ways to be more interactive with the campus community, and Community Day is another way to do that.

“A lot of times, it seems people are afraid of the police, and we don’t want that to be the case,” Mosley said. “We are here to help. We want our campus to know that outside of the uniform, we are people, too.”

Community Day is free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about UAPD.