The Noblesville Police Dept. is currently accepting applications for the next Citizens Police Academy.
The academy is an 11-week course, free of charge, designed to provide community members with an opportunity to become better acquainted with the city’s professional public-safety staff and to learn about police procedures and will 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, firearms demonstration, emergency vehicle operations, use of force issues and police canine demonstration. Participants will 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 Citizens Police Academy is not to create quasi-cops, but to produce informed citizens,” Lt. Bruce Barnes stated in a press release. “The academy is intended to open lines of communication between the community and the police department. By allowing citizens a firsthand look at the police department and how its operations are handled, citizens take away a better understanding of the police role in the community. 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 and better understand the concerns of the citizens.”
Eligible candidates must be at least 16 years old, have no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions within the last three years, pass a background check and reside or be employed in Noblesville.
The next academy session will begin on Feb. 15 and will conclude on April 26 with a graduation ceremony. Classes will be held each Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Applications are available online at www.cityofnoblesville.org/police or at the Noblesville Police Dept., 135 S. Ninth St., Noblesville. Class size is limited. For more, contact Barnes at 317-776-6340, ext. 1261, or at [email protected].
