Police announce next Citizen Academy The Laguna...

Police announce next Citizen Academy

The Laguna Beach Police Department is accepting applications for

the Citizen Academy, a 12-week course designed to educate the

community on local law enforcement. The academy begins Sept. 14 and

is free to anyone who works or lives in Laguna Beach.

Throughout the course, citizens will learn about crime scene

investigation, narcotics enforcement, the police K9 program and more.

The class will also include a tour of the Orange County Jail and a

chance to shoot a weapon at the police firing range.

The course will meet from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday nights.

Applications can be obtained by calling the police department at

(949) 497-0701. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 5.

Lifeguards issue stingray warning

Laguna Beach lifeguards report that stingrays have been a problem

at local beaches, stinging more than a dozen people in recent weeks.

Though the stingrays have not caused any major medical

emergencies, the sting is significantly more painful than that of a

jellyfish, said Marine Safety Chief Mark Klosterman.

The rays, which can reach up to three feet in length, have likely

been showing up close to shore because of the calm surf, said Marine

Protection Officer Matt Brown.

“When it’s calmer, it’s safer for them to come on in,” Brown said.

The stingrays will usually sting only when they are stepped on,

Brown said.

“They’re not aggressive,” Brown said.

The rays have barbs, described as fishing hooks, that latch onto

and inject poison into the victim.

The cure for a sting is to submerge the area in the hottest water

one can stand, Klosterman said.

To avoid being stung in the first place, the lifeguards recommend

that people going into the water shuffle their feet in the surf. The

disruption will deter stingrays, Klosterman said.