A special course through the Citizen’s Police Academy gives community members nominated across the City a taste of what it’s like to be a Chicago Police Officer. The goal of the program is to inform members of the community everything that goes into the Department.
The course is 9 weeks and meets once each week for three-and-a-half hours. It offers overviews of topics like Procedural Justice and Physical Skills. Participants learn about the mental and physical work necessary to be a police officer, and they get an opportunity to be hands-on and learn handcuffing, takedowns, and go through an obstacle course.
It truly is a small sampling of what officers experience. The classes feature the department’s organization, and technology and demonstration of the topics. Community members are given the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. Presenters are from various units within the department such as Organized Crime, Investigative Services, Patrol, Internal Affairs, and more.
