The Jamestown Police Department is accepting applications for the 2023 Citizen Police Academy.

Local community members will have the opportunity to take weekly classes as part of the Citizen Police Academy starting January 25. The weekly classes will be held in the Police Training Room at City Hall Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m.

According to the Jamestown Police Department’s Facebook page, the 2023 Citizen Police Academy will run for roughly 13 consecutive weeks.

The Jamestown Police Department publicly posted information regarding the Citizen Police Academy and encouraging people to apply for the class. The department indicated that preference will be given to Jamestown residents or individuals who work within the city limits.

Those interested in applying for the Citizen Police Academy are encouraged to call 716-338-0029 or email info@jpdny.com for additional information.

Police Chief Timothy Jackson and Officer Matt Rhinehart said the last Citizen Police Academy to be held by the Jamestown Police Department was in the late 1990s. While the city has not had a Citizen Police Academy for decades, they explained the concept is popular throughout the United States.

“Citizen Police Academies are common around the country to not only educate the public as to what the different jobs are that officers do, but also to create a platform for increased community relations,” Jackson and Rhinehart said. “It also creates interest in law enforcement for those that are considering law enforcement as a career.”

While the curriculum for the Jamestown Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy has not been finalized, topics such as an introduction into the Jamestown Police Department, criminal investigations, patrol investigations, narcotics, domestic violence, firearms and crime scene processing will be included.

Other training topics will include penal law, mental health, officer health and wellness, vehicle and traffic law, weapons and training safety, range demonstrations, the K-9 unit, a SWAT presentation, search and seizure, use of force, search warrants, Article 35, critical incident management, building clearing, crash management, media relations, reality-based training, emergency medical services, interview and interrogation and bail reform.

“Attendees of the Citizen Police Academy will get a broad, but detailed, overview of police work, specifically relating to the Jamestown Police Department,” Jackson and Rhinehart said. “They will see how police are trained and learn some of the training details.”

The training will involve a combination of classroom learning and hands-on learning. The Jamestown Police Department’s special teams will also provide presentations throughout the weekly course.

Prior to completion of the Citizen Police Academy, each student will have the opportunity to ride with an officer on patrol.

The Jamestown Police Department believes the Citizen Police Academy program will be able to correct misconceptions surrounding the work of police officers.

“This can help bridge the gap that is often seen when people watch police and investigative television shows,” Jackson and Rhinehart said. “Most television shows are inaccurate and give people a false sense of what actually happens when officers are on patrol and when detectives are investigating cases. This can often cause a disconnect as citizens have a false sense of how investigations are carried out.”

Jackson and Rhinehart also believe the Citizen Police Academy will promote a “channel of communication” between local citizens and the police department. By providing an opportunity for meaningful interaction between law enforcement and local citizens, the Jamestown Police Department hopes to build positive relationships with the community.

The Jamestown Police Department is planning on having 15-20 adult students take part in the Citizen Police Academy. As the first class offered by the city’s police department in over two decades, Jackson and Rhinehart said the community’s interest in the program has been very high.

“We have seen a lot of interest so far,” they said. “We have over 25 applications submitted after about a week.”

The Jamestown Police Department will accept applications throughout the end of the year before notifying the selected applicants in January.

Regarding funding, Jackson and Rhinehart said Rand Machine has helped provide funding for the Citizen Police Academy. The police department has also applied for a grant with another local company to help offset the cost of the program.