Citizens Police Academy
For more information on the Citizens Police Academy, contact Officer Brian R. Williams at (309) 433-3440.
Over the years, the Normal Police Department has expanded the involvement of community members in community-based crime prevention efforts by offering a Citizen Police Academy. The Citizen Police Academy provides a mechanism for educating the public about the criminal justice system. The main goals of the academy are to partner with the community, explain the operations of the police department, and encourage citizens to undertake measures to prevent them from becoming crime victims. Typically, police personnel conduct the classes, which include: Investigations, Explosives, Hostage Negotiations, Firearms, Self-Defensive, Narcotics, Street Gangs, Crime Scenes and Traffic stops. Participants also tour our Police Facility as well as the McLean County Jail, Juvenile Detention Center and METCOM the countywide 9-1-1 center. Each participant in the program is also required to spend at least eight hours riding with an officer on a patrol shift.
Academy participants gain an understanding of police procedures that are more reflective of everyday police work than what is portrayed by the media. They also learn how they can help to make their community crime-free. Participants become sources for new ideas as we learn from them in the process of teaching.
Our
CPA (Citizen Police Academy) also provides an avenue for Normal
Police to learn about the concerns of community members. It encourages
police interaction with the public, which can augment police job
satisfaction and provide a measure of accountability to the community.
Participants of the program continue to stay active even after classes are complete. The Alumni Association meets once a month for continuing education on law enforcement issues as well as volunteering at community events such as Sugar Creek Arts Festival, National Night Out, Normal Cornfest and McLean County Fair.
CPA graduates act as both staff and goodwill ambassadors. They distribute literature and information on neighborhood watches, crime prevention, traffic safety and home security, as well as alcohol awareness materials. They also answer routine questions about the Department.
The "Parking Ambassador" program is a community policing effort that had its debut in 1999 during ISU commencement. CPA alumni are compensated by the Town and provide courtesy assistance in monitoring public streets, which typically have chronic parking problems during special events taking place in the community. Their role is to provide information to the motoring public about locations where they may legally park. Since Ambassadors have no enforcement powers, if they receive a complaint from an area resident about an illegally parked vehicle and/or a hazardous situation, they contact the police department for assistance. Each Ambassador is equipped with a cell phone provided by Ameritech Cellular and Hill Radio. You can recognize our Parking Ambassadors by their bright gold polo shirts with PARKING AMBASSADOR on the back and Normal Police Department Citizen Police Academy Alumni on the front.
Click here to email a request for an application or more information on the Citizen Police Academy.