HAWTHORNE, NJ - When citizen officer Michael Camdian pulled over a vehicle for failing to signal on Goffle Road, he had no idea what to expect.

What looked like a routine stop Monday evening became more involved when Camdian learned that the driver had a previous arrest for heroin possession. But as he talked with the driver, Camden got the biggest surprise of all.

“I did notice that he was hiding some drugs. That’s what caught my eye initially,” said Camdian. “But then when he sat back in his seat, I realized there was a handgun in the car. It gets real, real quick.”

Fortunately, the weapon wasn’t real and neither was the stop. Camdian was one of 30 Hawthorne residents participating in Citizens Police Academy, a 10-lesson course where Hawthonites get to experience police work in a range of different scenarios.