Overview

The Citizens Police Academy is a hands-on training course allowing citizens of the community to gain first-hand knowledge and experience in the daily work of the Colonial Heights Police Department.

Goals

The program has three goals:

• to provide our Citizens Academy candidates with a working knowledge of the Colonial Heights Police Department's management operations and procedure policies;

• to strengthen community support and involvement with our police officers;

• to allow our department to benefit from the fresh perspective, observations, and personal experiences of the community members who are chosen to participate in the program.

Academy Instruction

The Citizens Academy is instructed by various members of the Colonial Heights Police Department as well as volunteers from other agencies of the criminal justice system, including the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. Candidates selected for the Citizens Police Academy meet one night a week for eight weeks of instruction on how the police:

• process a crime scene;
• work a traffic accident;
• handle a domestic violence incident;
• investigate drug and property crimes;
• respond to crimes in progress;
• enforce traffic laws as well as city ordinances;

During the Academy the instructors also:

• demonstrate how the court system operates;
• give firearms familiarization with a hands-on day at the firing range;
• describe the composition, functions, and interactions of the various Police Department units;
• offer ideas for crime prevention.

Through citizens' participation in our Academy, the Colonial Heights Police Department hopes to forge a better understanding between the community and the police officers who serve them daily.

If you are interested in participating in an upcoming session, call (804) 520-9306.