TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Graduation is just around the corner for a unique class of students in Twin Falls — members of the Citizens Police Academy. But before receiving their certificates, they had one last assignment: solving a simulated crime scene that felt eerily real.

For their final session, students were thrust into a mock investigation, complete with a staged motel room and lifelike props. The goal? Immerse them in the kind of scenarios local law enforcement face every day.

“There was a possible overdose. He was unresponsive and slumped over,” said Kasey Tupper, one of the participants, describing the only information the group received before stepping into the scene.

“When we got in there, we didn't know pretty much anything that was going on,” Tupper said. “So we were looking at w

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