What are some of the benefits of conducting a Citizen Police Academy?
The role of the police has always been of interest to the average citizen. The television media has capitalized upon this curiosity with shows such as “Cops,” “America’s Most Wanted,” and “CSI.” Each week, real police action is broadcast into the living rooms of millions of Americans. Numerous police agencies have also benefited from the curiosity that citizens have about the police. These agencies have formed Citizen Police Academy programs that create an expansion of their community-based policing efforts. Here are a few of the benefits of a Citizen Police Academy program: • Opens the lines of communication between the community and the police department. • Citizens and police officers have an opportunity to work closely together. • Citizens gain the ability to make informed decisions regarding controversial issues facing the community, and become aware of problems facing their police department. • Citizen involvement with the police department is enhanced. • Citizens gain a better u
