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Citizens Police Academy

NCJ Number
205589
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 60-62,64
Author(s)
Jim Weiss; Mickey Davis
Date Published
April 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the operations and benefits of the Citizens Police Academy.
Abstract
Residents in England sought more information about the operations of their local police; as a result, in 1977 the first police night school for citizens was developed. In 1984, the concept found its way across the ocean when the Orlando, FL, Police Department graduated its first class in 1984. Subsequent classes around America began emerging in places like Clearwater, FL, and Independence, OH. The article goes on to describe how the academies are designed and funded. In Clearwater, funding for the citizens police academy is secured through contraband forfeiture. In many instances, instructors of these academies are police officers volunteering their own to teach local citizens about police practice. Class sizes vary, but generally range from 20 to 30 people. Class topics also vary, but tend to include such topics as Traffic Homicide Investigations, Special Operations, Laws of Arrest, and Crime Prevention techniques. The main benefit of Citizens Police Academies is that they humanize police officers; another benefit is that some citizen graduates go on to become citizen volunteers with their local police department. Helpful hints are passed along for designing effective Citizens Police Academies, including presenting the most current information possible and allowing room for flexibility. Future academies should focus on the impact of domestic terrorism.

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