Applications Now Being Accepted for Metro Citizens Police Academy

(KNSI) — Applications are now being accepted for the Metro Citizens Police Academy.

Classes are on ten consecutive Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. between September 7th and November 9th. This is the 20th academy that the departments have offered.

Participants will gather at various departments and locations throughout the academy. Personnel from the St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Police Departments will show the many public areas relevant to policing, including training, policy, prosecution of criminal cases, and critical issues relevant to the profession. The classes offered closely parallel some of the training and curriculum that police officer candidates must go through before they can get their degree or certification.

Citizens and members of local civic and governmental organizations are urged to apply. Local departments are seeking a diverse group of applicants with a specific interest in police procedures involving the use and application of force, law enforcement training, arrest procedures, and general police practices. The course provides an in-depth look at these areas, knowing that many of these topics have come under scrutiny and have been topics of social debate. The course is designed to openly discuss these issues while interactively examining the training, equipment, and circumstances that our local officers are experiencing.

The academy is solely for informative purposes and in no way trains or promotes citizens to act in a law enforcement capacity.

Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and must not have a criminal record, and must live in St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park. A criminal history check will be completed on each applicant before acceptance into the program. Applicants must apply to the city police department in which they reside. Applications can be found online for most departments or can be obtained from the departments themselves.

Application and registration materials for the City of St. Cloud residents can be found here.

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