NOT A TOY-Sgt. Robert Arabian displays an M-16 semi-automatic rifle during a gun education class he's teaching to the latest edition of the Simi Valley Citizens Academy. As a roomful of students looked on, Simi Valley police officer Sgt. Robert Arabian hugged the side of a makebelieve building, his eyes scanning the area for an imaginary suspect.

In his hand, Arabian held a replica Beretta semi-automatic pistol to his ear, barrel pointed to the sky, mimicking a pose familiar to anyone who's ever watched an action movie or television cop drama.

"You won't see a police officer hold the weapon up like this," Arabian explained. "It looks good in Hollywood, but in real life you'll always see us pointing the weapon down at the ground."

This debunking of one of Tinseltown's many lawenforcement myths was part of a gun education class/slide show offered to the 22 students taking part in this fall's 12-week Simi Valley Police Department's Citizens Academy.

The goal of the course is to increase understanding of police procedures, policies and the county's criminal justice system. The academy is free of charge and offered each spring and fall to Simi Valley residents.

Applicants undergo a screening process, including a criminal history check. The course is necessary before a volunteer can work with the department.

During Arabian's presentation, students learned about the weapons used by the officers and about firearm safety. Marksmanship is only part of the equation for the officers, Arabian explained. Whether to use deadly force or not is what's most critical to successful police work, the sergeant said.

"It's a shoot or don't shoot scenario," Arabian said. "Every bul

let that's fired is potentially worth somebody's life or a milliondollar lawsuit."

For law enforcement personnel, this is where the Firearms Training Simulator comes into play. FATS digitally re-creates dangerous reallife scenarios encountered by police officers, compelling those who use it to make split-second decisions.

Inside a dark room, the operator manipulates a replica pistol inside an imaginary world that's projected on a 9-foot screen. Hits or misses register when the weapon fires at the screen.

Twice a year police officers in Simi Valley use the FATS device for training, Arabian said. This night it was the Citizens Academy students who got a taste of the technology that would make most video-gamers drool.

In one scenario, a woman runs into a parking garage screaming for help and then flees. Suddenly, a man armed with a rifle jumps out from behind a pillar, then a second man, then a third. It turns out the woman has lured the police into a trap. Quick reaction and good aim might save an officer's life.

"Things do happen very quickly. You have to appreciate the training the police have to protect themselves and others," said Carol Martin, 59, a Simi Valley resident who plans to volunteer after the course.

George Apodac, a student in his 70s, said he enjoyed the simulated shootout.

"I loved it," Apodac said. "I didn't hit a thing. I can't react that quickly . . . without practice anyway."

The Citizens Academy also offers the students a ride-along with a police officer to see what it's like in the field.

"We each had a ride-along and learned about Simi Valley, the good and the bad-the potential bad, I should say," said Jacque Cunningham, 73, who joined the class with her husband. "There are some things we thought we knew about law, but cities are different."

The bulk of the academy classes include guest lecturers from judges to patrol officers to medical examiners.

Those who join the class do so for a variety of different reasons.

Nancy Rapoport, a local CPA, said she joined the academy this semester because of an interest in crisis management.

"I've become more aware of police procedures and the services the police provide to the community and the dangers they face," Rapoport said. "The police take pride in their department and are excited about their jobs."

One of the younger students this term is Jessica McCormick, a 26yearold Simi Valley resident.

"The course gives someone a good sense of what the department does for the city," McCormick said. "It's nice to wave at the officers as they pass by instead of getting mad at them."

This semester's class will graduate on Nov. 13