Peoria Police Dept., Special to the Independent

The Peoria Police Department will be hosting its 2017 Citizen’s Police Academy beginning Wednesday, March 29 and ending June 14.

This popular program provides participants an exciting “hands-on” behind the scenes look at the field of law enforcement. Hosted in the Peoria Public Safety Administration Building, 8351 W. Cinnabar Ave. in downtown Peoria, this program is a twelve-week course that meets every Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The purpose of the academy is to promote the Community Oriented Policing philosophy through the exchange of information between citizens and law enforcement officials. Along the way, participants will experience what it is like to gather evidence, interview suspects and witnesses, conduct hostage negotiations, use a radar gun, and many other law enforcement tasks. Participants will learn what it takes to become a police officer, from the hiring process to the police academy experience, from using a firearms training simulator to executing a high-risk vehicle stop.

Whether you are interested in law enforcement as a career, want to learn more about your local police department, or just want to have the experience of a lifetime, the Peoria Police Department’s Citizen’s Academy is for you.

To be eligible to participate in the academy you must be an adult who resides or works in Peoria.

Questions can be answered by and applications are obtained through the Police Department’s Neighborhood Services Section by calling (623) 773-7099, or you can register online or download an application from the website at www.peoriaaz.com/police under the Police Department’s Community Relations Programs page.