NCJ Number
197787
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 71 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2002 Pages: 19-23
Date Published
November 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the history of citizen police academies (CPAs), this article discusses the objectives of CPAs and describes the program development and evaluation of the Lansing Police Department's (Michigan) CPA.
Abstract
CPAs, which are condensed versions of regular police academies, were first developed in the United Kingdom in 1977 for the purpose of acquainting citizens with the nature and structure of policing. The first CPA in the United States was launched by the Orlando Police Department (Florida) in 1985. The CPA curriculum typically introduces students to police operations and demonstrates the complex nature of policing. Students receive an overview of the organization of the sponsoring agency and the crime issues that create the most problems in the community. A second purpose of the CPA curriculum is to foster a sense of goodwill. Students become acquainted with members of the department and have an opportunity to come into contact with the police through positive interactions. Average CPA programs usually last 11 weeks, meet once a week for 3 hours, serve 27 students per session, and cost $3,500, including personnel expenses. A recent survey found that 45 percent of municipal police and county sheriff's departments operated some form of a CPA. The Lansing Police Department's CPA was launched in the early 1990's with the following goals: to create a network of citizens with a basic understanding of the workings of the department and the complexity of police work; to provide participating citizens with the information needed to better evaluate media reports about police performance; and to increase the likelihood that CPA graduates would work with police officers to identify and solve neighborhood problems. To evaluate the CPA program, the department developed and administered a survey to all of its 134 CPA graduates. The survey found that CPA participation increased knowledge of crime, safety, and community policing in the city; involvement as a volunteer increased modestly; graduates modified how they viewed media reports of the police; respondents were positive toward both the program and the agency; and respondents shared their experiences with others. 7 notes