Citizens' Police Academy

The concept of a Citizen's Police Academy was developed in 1977 by the Devon and Cornwall, England, Constabulary.  It was originally called "Police Night School", and its purpose was to familiarize private citizens with the nature of policing and the organization of the police system in England.  The first attempt at a citizen police academy in the United States was in Orlando, Florida, in the 1980's.  The mission of that CPA was to increase understanding of police department functions.

Here in Joliet, our Citizen's Police Academy was developed in 1993.  Many academies teach a shortened version of the actual police academy training.  However, the goal of the Joliet Police Department CPA is a lot different, with a much stronger community orientation.  It provides a great opportunity for community leaders to learn about our department and how law enforcement works.  In addition, it gives participants an opportunity to share their ideas and opinions.

The role of the police is often ambivalent to many people.  To outsiders, it may frequently appear that the police are either not doing their job, or exceeding their boundaries.  By allowing residents a first hand look at what rules, regulations and policies the police follow, some of this misunderstanding can be alleviated.  Police, in turn, can learn firsthand about the problems and experiences of participants.

Recruits attend twelve weekly sessions taught in three-hour segments, mostly by members of our Department.  In addition, students are able to attend a four-hour ride-along session after attending eight classroom sessions.  There is one scheduled Citizen's Police Academy classes each Fall.

The instruction covers a variety of areas including criminal and traffic law, the organization of the Police Department, crime prevention, neighborhood policing and internal affairs.  The lectures are designed to be fun and interesting, and encourage interaction between the instructors and students, with hands-on practical application.  Meetings are held each scheduled week at the Joliet Police Department.  The final class concludes with a formal graduation ceremony, and the distribution of certificates of completion.

Find out for yourself how interesting and exciting participating in the Citizen's Police Academy can be.  Dates for the next class have not been set, but will be scheduled soon.  Click here for a printable brochure.  If you're interested in attending these classes, please fax the form included in the brochure to Sergeant Tom Grutzius at 815-724-3249 .