In an effort to increase the community involvement with the Fayetteville Police Department and offer insight into the services the department provides, it will be hosting the second Citizens Police Academy at the Fayetteville Police Department.

The purpose of the Citizens Police Academy is to foster better communication between citizens and police through education. The academy will 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.

The Citizens Police Academy will consist of two hour classes held each week on Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for a duration of 12 weeks. This instruction is comprehensive, covering a different area of the police department each week. Certified police officers, supervisors and civilian instructors with particular expertise will conduct classes on each topic. Additional activities such as “ride-alongs” with officers and firearms training will be including in the academy. The first class will be held March 18 and will run each week until graduation in June. All classes are free.

Anyone interested in attending the academy can pick up an application at the Fayetteville Police Department, located at 760 Jimmie Mayfield Blvd., during normal business hours. The class is limited to the first 25 qualified applicants. The deadline for turning in applications is Feb. 18 at 5 p.m.