Port St. Lucie - Saturday January 21, 2023: The Port St. Lucie Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy is an extension of the agency’s community-oriented policing philosophy.
The next Citizen's Police Academy is set to begin on Tuesday, February 7. It is a free program offered to city residents which gives them a preview of their police department’s inner workings during a series of demonstrations, lectures, and discussions.
Each session is facilitated by an expert in their field and members of the class are afforded the opportunity to listen to presentations and interact with representatives of the Command Staff, Neighborhood Policing Bureau, Criminal Investigations Division, Support Services areas, and specialty units like the Special Response Team and K-9.
The Citizens Police Academy has experienced enormous positive results in bridging the gap between police and the community. It encourages citizens and members of the department to work together as a team in maintaining a high quality of life within the community. The Citizens Police Academy is offered annually and entails a total of 50 hours of instruction. Students participate in a two, three-hour evenings per week for eight weeks, which includes a field trip to the 911 operations and emergency operations center.
To date, the Police Department has conducted more than 26 Citizens Police Academy classes with over 400 graduates. Many who complete training go on to become active police department volunteers within the agency; however, the vast majority, if not all, return to their community as better-informed supporters of the agency’s overall mission.
To attend the Citizen's Police Academy Class #27, call Donna Hentz Police Volunteer Coordinator at 772-344-4052 or email her at: DMHentz@cityofpsl.com