Have you ever wondered what kind of training a police officer must undergo to do his or her job? Do you think you could do it just as well or better? Now is your chance to find out. The Houston Citizens’ Police Academy (HCPA) is currently accepting applications for the Fall class.

The Houston Citizens’ Police Academy (HCPA) was organized in 1989 and offers citizens the opportunity to learn about the internal operations of the Houston Police Department. The Citizens’ Police Academy speakers, (mostly Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice experts in their fields), provide lectures, demonstrations, tours, and hands-on activities for Academy participants. The overall objective of the Academy is to provide citizens with sound and accurate information about HPD and the criminal justice process so citizens are able to make informed decisions regarding issues involving the police department and/or police activity. Participants will be able to share what they’ve learned with family, friends, co-workers, and their neighbors to further improve and strengthen community.

The 10-week academy classes are FREE and offered every Thursday, beginning September 11th through November 13th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Citizens Police Academy is a 33-hour block of instruction with the first day of class being orientation and the last day is graduation. The academy classes will be held at 17000 Aldine Westfield Rd., 77070 (some sessions are held at various HPD locations such as Hobby Airport and Mounted Patrol).

Please share this information with members of your community. If you or any of your community members are interested in attending the next class, please contact Stephanie Watson-Owens, Senior Police Officer, HPD Public Affairs Office at 713-308-3200 or via e-mail at [email protected].