Citizen Police Academy

Lake Jackson Police Department Citizen Police Academy                                                

The concept of the Citizen Police Academy was developed in 1977 in England to familiarize private citizens with the nature of police work and the organization of the police system. The Lake Jackson Police Department held its first Citizen Police Academy in November 1993. Typically, we run one Citizen Police Academy class each year.The LJCPA Schedule

The LJCPA runs 8 weeks. The class meets every Thursday from 5:30-8:00pm and one Saturday from 8:30-12:30pm. (Class officially starts at 6:00pm every Thursday but we use the extra 30 minutes for visiting and snacking.) We usually start our annual Citizen Police Academy in January and end in March but start and end dates are subject to change.

LJCPA Goals

First and foremost to build a personal relationship between first responders and the community we serve. During the 8 week program, our goal is to help our citizens have a better understanding of how we do our jobs, why certain practices are the industry standard, and to learn, from you the student, how we can better serve our community. Through this program, we hope you will take the knowledge gained into the community and educate others when the opportunity arises. 

Classes and Ride-Alongs

Classes will consist of one or more of: lectures, demonstrations, case studies, and hands-on practice. In addition to the Thursday night instruction, most students have the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with a patrol officer upon the completion of the LJCPA. 

Students will have the rare opportunity to visit various areas of the police department that are not normally open to the public. The LJCPA is taught in an atmosphere that encourages the students to meet and talk with many officers throughout the department.

Disqualifications

Any Felony or Class A misdemeanor conviction (Permanent Disqualifier).

Any Class B misdemeanor conviction within the past 10 years.

Any outstanding warrants or pending court hearings, or any conviction of the following: issuance of bad check, public lewdness, theft or any other crime of “moral turpitude.”

All disqualifiers shall remain concurrent to and consistent with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s TCIC/TLETS access policy.

Applicants are required to undergo a background check.

Applicants must live or work inside the City of Lake Jackson.

Applicants accepted into the Adult Citizen Police Academy will receive notification from the Community Relations Supervisor.

Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association

Upon completing the Citizen Police Academy, the participants will have the opportunity to join the Lake Jackson Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. The Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association works with the Lake Jackson Police Department to provide assistance with special projects and functions as a liaison between the Police Department and the community. The Lake Jackson Police Department Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association is a non-political, non-profit, tax-exempt organization.