The Peabody Police Department will host its 20th session of the Citizens Academy starting Wednesday, Oct. 15. Classes will be held each Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 17. The application deadline for this class is Wednesday, Oct. 8. Seats are limited and will be filled in the order in which applications are received.
The academy will cover several topics, including but not limited to: politics in policing, terrorism, the legal process, motor vehicle law, patrol procedures, domestic violence, criminal investigations and community policing. The program includes a K9 demonstration, a drone demonstration and a firearms class where students can shoot various weapons at our indoor firing range. Students will also participate in motor vehicle stop scenarios and tour the Peabody Police Station and the Middleton House of Corrections.
The Citizen’s Academy allows residents to become much more familiar with the inner workings of the Peabody Police Department. Participants gain an entirely different perspective on the community in which they live when they learn to see things through the eyes of a police officer.
The academy instructors include members of the Peabody Police Department, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. All instructors are well-versed in their subject matter, and they strongly encourage class participation.
“We hope and expect that participants will graduate from the Citizens’ Academy with a newfound appreciation for what we as police officers do,” said Captain Scott Richards, who directs the academy. “Participants will finish with a good deal of first-hand knowledge of how the department operates and the challenges that police officers face daily. It will be a real eye-opener.”
To apply for the Citizens Academy, pick up an application at the police station or download it from the Peabody Police Department website at peabodypolice.org.
