ochester, N.Y. -- For the past ten weeks, Sally Skyer and nearly two-dozen deaf and hard of hearing students took part in a citizen's police academy.
"I thought this was a fantastic course because I learned a lot about the Rochester Police Department," said Skyer of Chili.
This wasn't just classwork and PowerPoint presentations.
"They shot guns a couple of weeks ago," said Renee Nichols, a liaison to the deaf community with RPD.
Skyer said the firearms part was frightening.
"I had to wear the ear muffs and I didn't think I'd have to wear (them) because I can't hear anything," explained Skyer. "The noise really threw me off and I freaked out. Then I had to practice and I only did one shot and that was enough. That was more than enough."
Rochester Police have offered this class for 22 years, according to Chief James Sheppard. It's a way to clear up communication problems with both sides.
"By having this mutual understanding it just makes us a little bit better in how we do our jobs," said Sheppard.
Thursday night, the class learned about SWAT team work, and watched as a K-9 chased and attacked an officer who wore a protective sleeve.
The course showed the group of 22 how police do their work, and gave police experience in communicating with an important part of the area's population.
"We have to work with them, we have to communicate with them. At the end of the day they are going to be our witnesses and our eyes and our ears as well, in terms of what's going on in the community," said Sheppard.
