Citizen Police Academy

Since its inception in 1998, the Citizen Police Academy (CPA) has graduated 47 classes with over 1,200 graduates.

The Citizen's Police Academy is a 12-week session that meets at the Police Station every Thursday night from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Two academy sessions are held each year in January and July. Participants are treated to many action-packed presentations highlighting the major divisions and sections within the organization.

Session 49 

Session 49 of the CPA will start on August 24, 2023. Applications will be open in July - check back then to be part of Session 49!

Session 48 

Session 48 began on March 2, 2023; applications are no longer being accepted.

Click here for the Class Announcement.

Class Presentations

Class presentations are done by Officers who are members of the:

  • Detectives Unit
  • Evidence Technicians Team
  • K-9 Team
  • Narcotic Detective Team
  • Patrol Unit
  • Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team
  • Traffic and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Unit
  • Communications Team
  • Downtown CAPE
  • Taser/Defense Tactics

Hands-on Activities

Hands-on activities include:

  • 4 hours at an outdoor gun range using officers' guns (including semi-auto and fully automatic weapons)
  • Dusting for fingerprints with evidence technicians
  • Ride along with a patrol officer during a patrol shift
  • Segway Ride with Downtown CAPE

The cost to attend is only $25.

Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association

Graduates of the Citizen Police Academy formed an Alumni Association (Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (CPAAA)) to continue their association with and support for the police department. Their assistance has been invaluable to the department. Members continue their education about the department by attending training sessions during their monthly meetings. They volunteer for activities such as the Kids Halloween and Christmas Parties, assistance at various festivals, fingerprinting, Kids Fishing Rodeo, data entry, and vehicle maintenance. Currently, there are over 150 members of the CPAAA who volunteer over 12,000 hours of time each year.

To learn more about the Citizen Police Academy, contact the Police Volunteer Coordinator.

Ride-Along Program

Ride-Along Program Application (PDF)