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HISTORY THE LOMBARD POLICE ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

In March of 1997 the Lombard Police Department held their first Citizen Police Academy.  The purpose of the academy was to give the public a better working knowledge of the police.  To provide a candid look at modern policing in their community; give the citizens a better understanding of the police though education; dispel myths, misunderstanding and suspicion; allow personal interaction; and to improve communication between citizens and police by seeking the citizens input.

    By June of 1998 the Lombard Police Department had completed three Citizen Police Academy classes.  In August of 1998 Sgt. Dave Kundrot contacted a representative of each of the fist three classes, Joe Bartuch 97-01, Joelyn Kott 97-02 and Hunt Thomas 98-01.  The purpose was to start a Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association.  Sgt. Kundrot and the three graduates put together By-Laws, set up a meeting schedule and selected the Executive Board.  The first Board consisted of President Frank Mackett, 1st V.P. Sue Kramer, 2nd V.P. Harvey Alter, Treasurer Edlyn Andrlik, Secretary Maureen Lanza and Sgt. at Arms Paul Kufrin.  The Association was registered as a nonprofit organization with the State of Illinois.  Village President Bill Mueller, also a graduate of the CPA program, donated the fee for the initial registration.

    The newly formed Lombard Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (LCPAAA) met the first Tuesday of every month and for ten months of each year.  The LCPAAA had a continuing education curriculum and covered topics that time did not allow for during the 10-week Police Academy.  In addition to the monthly meetings the Alumni Association became very active within the community.  The Alumni Association was instrumental in the Village and the Police Department hosting the second annual National Citizens Police Academy Association national training conference in June of 1999.  More than 230 people from 30 states came to Lombard to learn about this unique program.  In 2000 the National CPA Association selected the LCPAAA as the Alumni Association of the Year.  The association now holds an annual food drive, the Shop with a Cop program that they helped initiate, assists in hosting the Police Open House, "cards" the public for alcohol sales at the Taste of Lombard, sells popcorn at Cruise Nights, assists with traffic at the Lilac Parade, makes donations of equipment to the Police Department and assists other groups and associations throughout the Village.

    More than 12 former and/or current memebers of the Village Board have attended the CPA class since its inception.  There have been a total of more than 400 graduates of the class with more than one third of them becoming members of the Alumni Association.  Founder Sgt. Dave Kundrot was the Police Department liaison for the first 6 years of the Alumni Association.  Sgt. Roy Newton led the group from 2004-2006, Sgt. Marilyn Gabinski from 2006-2009, and in late 2009 Sgt. William "Bud" Marks was appointed as the latest liaison officer to the LCPAAA.

    In 2013 the LCPAAA remains very active in working with the police department and the Lombard community.  With over 60 active members the alumni association continues to meet monthly to conduct business and continues the educational curriculum begun in the CPA program.  Recent presentaion topics included current technology used in traffic enforcement, the red-light camera program; world terrorism and the "Third Jihad"; tours of the Channel 7 television studios and the DuPage County Jail plus personal safety and self-defense.

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