ABOUT THE CITIZEN ACADEMY (Next Academy: To Be Announced)

To reserve a spot in an upcoming academy, please call (951) 353-7690.

The Riverside Police Department's Citizen Academy was instituted in 1994 to provide community members with an inside look at their Riverside Police Department.

The 11-week course will give citizens an overview of the department's function and operational methods. It will provide insight on how police personnel perform their duties.

The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to the traditional police academy, but the weekly sessions are not designed to train participants to become police officers.  Rather, the goal is to educate citizens and encourage them to participate in police community partnership programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Safe Streets Now!, and Crime Free Multihousing.

All sessions are conducted by police personnel in a classroom setting and do not involve physical training.

One of the goals of the Citizen Academy is to promote community volunteerism. Students will be encouraged to become involved in community partnership and volunteer programs. Interested parties are invited to participate in a volunteer training program which follows the Citizen Academy and provides additional training, not limited to radio procedures and etiquette, basic investigation and report writing, and emergency operations. Participants wishing to take part in the volunteer program will attend an additional three classes following graduation from the Citizen Academy.

THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE CITIZEN ACADEMY

• To develop partnerships between members of the community and the Police Department.

• To promote open lines of communication between members of the community and the Police Department.

• To offer new insight on how the police do their job.

• To assist in providing a realistic view and clear understanding of the Police Department.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

Learn About:

• Overview of the Criminal Justice System*

• The Concept of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS)*

• Police Patrol Procedures*

• Laws of Arrest*

• Use of Force*

• Crime Analysis

• Robbery Investigations

• Police/Community Partnership Programs

• Narcotics Investigation

• Police Ride Along

• Personal Safety

• The Canine Unit*

• Firearms and Range Familiarization*

• The Aviation Unit

• School Resource Officers

• Sexual Assault/Child Abuse

• Domestic Violence

• Safe Streets Now!

• Auto Theft

• Graffiti Vandalism

• Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)

• Gangs

• Neighborhood Watch

• Dispatch Procedures

• Traffic Safety

• Volunteer Programs*

An (*) denotes courses that are a regular part of the Citizen Academy. The balance of the curriculum varies and is subject to change based on the availability of instructors. Not every topic listed will be addressed during this academy session.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Citizen Academy participants are selected through an application process that includes a limited background check. Candidates for the Riverside Police Department Citizen Academy must meet the following criteria:

• Live or work within the City of Riverside

• No felony convictions

• No misdemeanor convictions involving violence or moral turpitude

• No outstanding arrest warrants

• No excessive driving citations

• No pending criminal charges

• No prior termination from any police program

• Must be honest and truthful on the application

• Must sign a waiver for personal injury form

• Must possess a willingness to become involved within the community

• Must be able to commit to an 8 week program that involves meeting for three hours per session one night per week

• Minimum age of 21 years old

Class size is limited to 30 students. All qualified applicants will be retained and considered for future classes. Attendance in a minimum of 6 classes is required for graduation.

Public Education Programs