The Noblesville Police Department is currently accepting applications for future Citizens Police Academy classes. The academy is an 11-week course, free of charge, designed to provide community members with an opportunity to become better acquainted with professional staff and to learn about police procedures.
The Academy will familiarize citizens with the operations of the police department. This includes classes on patrol procedures, criminal law, narcotics, search and seizure, tactical operations, investigations, juvenile law, firearms demonstration, emergency vehicle operations, use of force issues and police canine demonstration. Participants will also have the option to ride with a patrol officer and witness the street activity officers encounter on a day-to-day basis.
The objective of the Citizens Police Academy is not to create quasi-cops, but to produce informed citizens. The academy is intended to open lines of communication between the community and the police department. By allowing citizens a firsthand look at the police department and how its operations are handled, citizens take away a better understanding of the police role in the community. Additionally, citizens bring a wealth of knowledge about their community and particularly, the problems in their neighborhood. In this way, police are able to learn and better understand the concerns of the citizens.
Eligible candidates must:
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Have no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions within the last three years
- Pass a background check
- Reside or be employed in Noblesville
The next academy session (Fall 2018) has already reached capacity. Applications for the Spring 2019 session are currently being accepted, which will begin on Jan. 30 and will conclude on April 24, 2019, with a graduation ceremony. Classes will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday. The Fall 2019 session is scheduled for Sept. 4 through Nov. 26, 2019.
Applications are available online at cityofnoblesville.org/police or at the Noblesville Police Department. Class size is limited so be sure to apply as soon as possible. For further information, please contact Lieutenant Bruce Barnes at (317) 776-6340, ext. 1243 or at bbarnes@noblesville.in.us.