Join Citizen's Police Academy in Gilberts

The Gilberts Police Department invites residents to participate in the Citizen's Police Academy, which are free and open to anyone age 18 or older who resides or works in the village.

It is a 10-week program designed to give the public a working knowledge of the Gilberts Police Department. Each session consists of 10 consecutive Wednesday night classes at the police department. The instruction is comprehensive and each week separate areas of the department are covered.

Classes will be offered once a year and is limited to the first 15 applicants who are accepted into the academy.

The class will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, July 15 to Sept. 16.

Some of the topics to be covered include cadet training, DUI process, patrol procedures, use of force, traffic stops, accident investigation, S.W.A.T., Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, evidence, defense/arrest tactics, and recruiting. Participants also will meet the police chief.

Instruction consists of lectures, demonstrations, tours, and riding with a police officer during a shift.

The police academy's slogan is "Understanding through Education." The goal is to educate the public about the Gilberts Police Department and to increase the rapport between citizens and police officers.

They hope the graduates of the Citizen's Police Academy become more aware and better informed about how the police department operates, and will encourage friends, co-workers, and families to join the Gilberts Police Department in this program.

Complete the application at www.villageofgilberts.com. For information, contact officers Jason Hernandez or Heather Rowlett, Citizen's Police Academy coordinators, at (847) 428-2954, or jhernandez125@villageofgilberts.com or hrowlett130@villageofgilberts.com.