ANNOUNCEMENT
CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY
The Novato Police Department is proud to present the 7th Novato Police Department Citizen Academy. The 12-week academy will run from March 1 through May 17, 2012. Each session will be presented on Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. except for an 8-hour field exercise training day, which will be held on a Saturday.
The Novato Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy provides community members with an inside look at local law enforcement. While at the Academy, citizen/students are introduced to a variety of law enforcement topics. The twelve-week academy program is designed to give citizens an overview of the police department’s function and operational procedures.
The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to the traditional police academy; however, the once-weekly sessions are not designed to train the participant as a police officer. Police officers and civilian employees teach the academy classes. Participants also have the opportunity to meet with the Chief of Police and staff members. They are encouraged to ask questions and express ideas and concerns to police employees.
The curriculum for the Citizen Police Academy includes:
· Chief of Police Introductions
· Community policing
· Patrol procedures
· Investigative procedures
· Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness
· Officer safety issues
· Use of force
· Communications/911
· Firearms simulation
· Ethics/Professional standards
· Criminal laws/laws of arrest/legal issues
· Crime scene investigations
· Police bicycle patrol
· Crime prevention
· Records
· Property and evidence
· Special teams
· And much more
In addition to the classroom curriculum the students have the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with a Novato police officer. During the ride-along the students get a chance to experience modern law enforcement up close.
Many Novato residents have participated in previous citizen academy classes. The response we have received has been uniformly positive and the graduates have found the course to be informative, engaging, and enjoyable. The Citizen Police Academy class size is limited to approximately 25 students per session. The Chief of Police selects participants through an application process. Academy participant must meet the following criteria:
· Minimum age of 17 years (Must be at least a High School Senior)
· Live or work in Novato
· Successfully pass a Background Investigation.
· No felony convictions
· No misdemeanor convictions within one year of the application.
The Citizen Academy has become a key element in the Novato Police Department’s commitment to community policing and has created a collaborative partnership with the community. As a graduate of the citizen’s academy, it opens an opportunity to become one of the important police volunteers with the Novato Police Department. The academy has undoubtedly lived up to the theme of "Understanding through Education."
To obtain an application, please contact the Novato Police Department at (415)-897-4361 or visit the city’s website at www.novato.org and search under the Police Department tab.
