DeSoto’s Citizens Police Academy Celebrates 30 Years of Service

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Mayor Proctor with DeSoto Police
From left to right, DeSoto Police Chief Joseph Costa, Sergeant Mike Edwards, Councilmember Nicole Raphiel, Mayor Rachel L. Proctor, DCPAA President Ray Dent, Karen Pittmon, Fritz Beckworth, and City Manager Brandon Wright.

The DeSoto Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (DCPAAA) celebrated 30 years of service to DeSoto’s Police Department and residents on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in DeSoto Town Center’s Bluebonnet Room. Police Chief Joseph Costa and department staff were joined by Mayor Rachel L. Proctor, City Councilmember Nicole Raphiel, City Manager Brandon Wright, and other top City officials to honor the DCPAAA and to recognize the extended service of 20 members.

 

Mayor Proctor and Councilmember Raphiel presented a proclamation to the DCPAAA on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and DCPAAA member Jeanne Mayer was recognized with top member honors for her 30 years of service. Mayer, who is 91, still actively assists DeSoto Police at their headquarters and at public events such as DeSoto’s recent joint 4th of July celebration with the City of Lancaster in Grimes Park.

The DeSoto Citizens Police Academy was founded in 1991 and its Alumni Association a year later in 1992 as a way to strengthen bonds with the DeSoto community by giving participating residents an inside look at what DPD does on a daily basis. It also gives members the opportunity to support the police department by assisting with day-to-day activities such as providing customer service at the front desk of the DeSoto Police Headquarters.

Other duties include assisting with the Citizen Police Academy, the operation of citywide community events such as National Night Out, July 4th, and the Hometown Holiday Parade, and providing education programs at local schools. DCPAAA members are considered a part of the DeSoto Police Department “family” but are not police officers.

To learn more about the DeSoto Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (DCPAAA) visit their website at https://www.ci.desoto.tx.us/411/DCPAAA