Citizen Police Academy

Welcome to the Citizen Police Academy!

The purpose of the Academy is to familiarize citizens with the operations of the police department. This includes classes on patrol procedures, criminal law, narcotics, search and seizure, tactical operations, investigations, juvenile law and a firearms demonstration. Students also have the "option" to ride with a patrol officer and witness the street-activity our officers encounter on a day-to-day basis.

The objective of the Citizen Police Academy is not to create quasi-cops, but to produce informed citizens. The police and the citizens benefit by meeting each other face-to-face in a neutral, friendly setting. Each becomes a person to the other. Hopefully, by providing citizens the information needed to dispel any suspicions or misconceptions a working rapport can be established between officers and the public.

Since 1985, numerous police agencies have created Citizen Police Academies as an expansion of their community-based crime prevention efforts. The academy is intended to open the lines of communication between the community and the police department. The role of the police is ambivalent to those in the field, and to citizens, as it may frequently appear that the police are not doing their job or are exceeding their boundaries.

By allowing citizens a firsthand look at what rules, regulations, and policies the police follow, some of this misunderstanding may be alleviated. During classes, the participants are encouraged to ask questions and give feedback concerning the operation of the police agency. Additionally, citizens bring a wealth of knowledge about their community and particularly, the problems in their neighborhood. In this way, police are able to learn firsthand the concerns of the citizens.