March 05--The St. Charles Police Department once again is hosting its annual Citizens Police Academy March 22 through May 19.
The Citizens Police Academy is meant to give residents and business owners a better understanding of how the St. Charles Police Department operates. Participants will get to meet officers face-to-face and discover what daily life is like for them. Some of the areas covered in the program are criminal and narcotics investigations, arrest and search procedures, courts, traffic stops, the police dog unit, SWAT team and crime scene processing, among others.
When possible, the curriculum makes use of both classroom instruction and outside demonstrations. Students may get an opportunity to do the activity being demonstrated, such as processing a "crime scene" for fingerprints or getting a radar reading on a moving vehicle.
The class will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for nine weeks. Most of the classes are held in the St. Charles Police Department training room at 211 N. Riverside Ave. The last class is a graduation ceremony which will include congratulations from the chief of police and the mayor.
Applications can be picked up at the front lobby of the Police Department, 211 N. Riverside Ave., or downloaded from the city website at www.stcharlesil.gov. Once the application has been completed, it can be dropped off, mailed or e-mailed to the St. Charles Police Department in care of Officer Bill Tynan at 211 N. Riverside Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174, or btynan@stcharlesil.gov. All applications are subject to approval, and include a background check.
The class is open and free of charge only to residents living in the city limits of St. Charles, property and business owners and their employees and approved St. Charles high school juniors and seniors. The last day to submit an application is March 14.
For more information, contact Tynan at 630-443-3847, or btynan@stcharlesil.gov.
