Citizens' Police Academy

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Students in the Citizens’ Police Academy will participate in informative classroom-style presentations as well as practical demonstrations with a variety of Police Department personnel. Activities include a police facility tour, a jail tour, a simulated car stop exercise, firearms instruction in the shooting range, fingerprinting, and a crime scene investigation challenge. Each student will also be given the opportunity to go on one four-hour ride-along with a police officer during the course of the Academy.

Instructors are drawn from all areas in the Department. Students meet the chief of police, managers, supervisors, patrol officers, detectives, dispatchers, and other department employees. We encourage students to ask questions and express their concerns about pertinent issues. A major goal of the Citizens' Police Academy is to increase understanding between our citizens and the Police Department, and to enhance the strong relationships we have with the community.

While the Academy will give students a better understanding of how the Police Department is organized, the services we provide, and how we serve the community, it is not based on a traditional police academy. The program is not designed to prepare students to be police officers or provide training in the field of law enforcement. A typical Citizens' Academy class is made up of 24 students of all age groups, and instructors will accommodate any physical limitations.

Successful graduation of the Citizens' Police Academy is a pre-requisite for our Volunteer Program.

Schedule

The Citizens’ Police Academy is 12 weeks long, with one three-hour class each Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Academy culminates in a graduation ceremony in Week 12, which friends and family are welcome to attend. All classes are held at the Police Department. The Academy may also include an optional "Bonus Class" on Week 13, with instruction on CPR and other lifesaving measures.

Sessions are held twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. Upcoming classes include:

Fall 2024: August 28 through November 13 (Bonus Class on November 20)
Spring 2025: Exact dates to be determined (typically March-May)

Application Process

Prospective participants for the Citizens' Police Academy must:

Live or work in Newport Beach;
Be at least 21 years old; and
Have no felony convictions, outstanding warrants, or pending criminal cases.

All applicants will be required to submit to a criminal background check before acceptance into the Academy.

If you are interested in joining us, submit an application today! Application forms are available at our front desk, by mail on request, or through the link at the bottom of this page.

Completed applications may be returned to the Community Relations office either by email (to the email address listed at the bottom of the application), mail (Newport Beach Police Department, ATTN: Citizens' Police Academy Coordinator, 870 Santa Barbara Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660), or in person at our front desk. After preliminary review to confirm eligibility, a list will be compiled and students will be assigned to the next available session.

Due to high levels of interest, and the time required to complete the background check, we encourage applicants to submit their forms well in advance of the scheduled class they wish to attend. Late and/or waitlisted applications will be added to a list for a future class.

For further information, please contact the Citizens' Police Academy staff here.

Application