The Fayetteville Police Department last month completed yet another Citizens Police Academy. Now in its fifth year, the 2012 class consisted of 11 of Fayetteville’s citizens.
Department spokesman Steve Crawshaw said the academy was hosted in an effort to increase the community involvement with the Fayetteville Police Department and offer insight into the services provided.
”The purpose of the Citizens Police Academy is to foster better communication between citizens and police through education,” Crawshaw said. “The department is planning to host more classes to create a nucleus of well-informed citizens who possess greater insight into police practices and services. Graduates of the academy can share their knowledge and experiences with the community as the opportunity arises. Everyone benefits from enhancing citizen understanding of the role and function of their police department.”
Crawshaw said the Citizens Police Academy consisted of 2-hour classes held each week for a duration of 12 weeks. This instruction was comprehensive, covering a different area of the Police Department each week. Certified police officers, supervisors, and civilian instructors with particular expertise conducted classes on each topic. An additional activity such as “ride-alongs” with officers was included in the academy, Crawshaw said.
