Giving Back to the Community: Zone 5 Academy Training
Here at Second Sight, we see ourselves as a part of the community we serve, which is why we enjoy giving back. Our favorite way to give back is by sharing what we know and doing what we love – teaching people about threat assessment so that they can use that information to help their communities. Second Sight provides free recurring training on active threat assessment for the Zone 5 Police Training Academy in upstate New York to fulfill our dual mission of giving back and training the world.
The Zone 5 Academy, which is located in Schenectady, trains police officers from several counties in upstate New York, including Albany, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties. The Academy offers a full-time, 6-month basic police officer course 2 to 3 times a year. The academy also offers classes such as Field Training Officer, Investigator, Supervisor, and various other basic to train-the-trainer level courses.
The Academy has a special place in the hearts of Second Sight founders Nathan Meehan and Pete Forth. Originally from upstate New York, both served in the ten-county region for several years prior to Second Sight’s existence. Nathan previously served as the lead Crime and Intelligence Analyst for the Schenectady Police Department, where he used data-driven tactics to inform police operations and assisted the FBI in targeting violent gang members. Pete, a retired Detective Sergeant of the Special Investigations Unit, served as a law enforcement officer for nearly 30 years in various positions, including patrol, investigations, the SWAT team, and even as a lead instructor for the Zone 5 Police Academy. Currently, both proudly teach at the Academy and train more than 100 officers each year.
Nate and Pete’s combined experience is unmatched and has been integral for Second Sight’s success -- none of which would be possible without the support from the local law enforcement community. Thus, giving back to the community is something that our team is very passionate about.
Zone 5 Academy Active Threat Assessment Training
Since its inception, Second Sight has focused on developing and teaching law enforcement training that is practitioner-derived and molded through science. More than four years ago, our team provided the training we developed for free to the Zone 5 Academy as a way to share our expertise and say “thank you” to our community. The training was so well-received that it has since become a permanent addition to the Academy’s “Basic Course for Police Officers” curriculum. At the Academy’s request, we continue to conduct training for them multiple times per year.
The course, which is 8 hours long, teaches our active threat assessment methodology. Trainees learn how to systematically observe their environment, identify behavioral threat indicators, and how to be more prepared when responding to active threats. These skills allow trainees to filter through a crowd of people, identify potential active threats, and make informed decisions on what to do next.
Threat Awareness for Law Enforcement (Online)
Here at Second Sight, we believe that all law enforcement should have access to meaningful opportunities for learning and development. For this reason, we also offer a nationally certified online version of this course to make it accessible to all departments. Just like the in-person training, the online version of this course is 8 hours long and focuses on observation of behavioral indicators and active threat assessment.
Research shows that online training for law enforcement is effective at helping officers learn and retain new skills, making it a viable alternative to in-person training. To optimize your online learning experience, our courses rely on evidence-based instructional design methods and are regularly updated based on participant feedback.
Learn More
If you are wondering whether this training would be relevant for your officers, use the button below to access the short version of this course at no charge. You can also sign up for our mailing list for more information and updates from Second Sight.
