On Saturday night, two Post reporters found themselves in the back seat of a police car.
Our reporters took part in the Athens Police Department’s ride along program, which gives people the opportunity to shadow an APD officer for a night on the town.
Their shift was from 11 p.m. to a little after 3 a.m. During that time frame, our reporters bore witness to fights, lockouts and drunkenness, among other excitements.
We encourage students to take advantage of APD’s program. Although it’s not unusual for police departments to have ride along programs, APD’s offers a good opportunity for people to get a glimpse of what an officer deals with on a given day or night.
Officer Thomas Simpson, whom our reporters rode along with, said the department typically hosts about six ride alongs each academic year. That number isn’t nearly enough.
Anyone can schedule a ride along by stopping by APD’s headquarters at 11 N. College St.
The Ohio University Police Department is looking into establishing a ride along program and the sheriff’s office didn’t get back to us by press time.
It’s important for people to understand what police officers deal with during their shifts, especially during a time of heightened nationwide discussion about policing tactics.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: editor-in-chief Jim Ryan, managing editor Sara Jerde, opinion editor Xander Zellner and projects editor Allan Smith. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
