St. Charles police to host Citizens Police Academy
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a part of the law enforcement profession? The St. Charles Police Department once again is hosting its annual Citizens Police Academy, which will run from March 14 through May 30.
The Citizens Police Academy is meant to give residents and business owners a better understanding of how the St. Charles Police Department operates.
Participants will get to meet officers face to face, and discover what daily life is like for them.
Some of the areas covered in the Citizens Police Academy are criminal and narcotics investigations, arrest and search procedures, courts, traffic stops, the SWAT team and crime scene processing among many others.
When possible, the curriculum makes use of both classroom instruction and outside demonstrations. Students may get an opportunity to do the activity being demonstrated, such as processing a mock "crime scene" for fingerprints or getting a radar reading on a moving vehicle. The CPA has an added benefit of being a sounding board on how the police department is meeting the needs of our citizens.
The class meets on Thursdays, starting at 6:30 p.m. and will run from 2-3 hours.
Most of the classes are held in the St. Charles Police Department training room at 211 N. Riverside Ave.
The last class is a graduation ceremony which will include congratulations from the chief of police and the mayor.
Applications can be picked up at the front lobby of the police department at (630) 377-4435 or downloaded from the city website at www.stcharlesil.gov under "Crime Prevention."
Once the application has been completed, it can be dropped off, mailed or e-mailed to the St. Charles Police Department in care of Officer Jim Burden at 211 N. Riverside Ave., St. Charles, Illinois 60174, or jburden@stcharlesil.gov.
All applications are subject to approval, and include a background check.
The class is open, free of charge, to St. Charles residents, property and business owners and their employees, and approved St. Charles high school juniors and seniors.
The last day to submit an application for the program is March 7.
For more information, contact Officer Jim Burden at (630) 443-3835, or jburden@stcharlesil.gov.