The MNPD is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the fall session of the department’s popular Community Police Academy which will be held at the Midtown Hills Precinct on 12th Avenue South at Wedgewood Avenue on Tuesday evenings for 10 weeks beginning on September 13 and running through November 15. Nashvillians interested in learning about the inner workings and law enforcement strategies of their police department are cordially invited to apply for this free and very informative course.
Classes will be held on Tuesday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The deadline for applications is September 6. Applications can be completed on-line by logging onto the Community Police Academy application. In order to finish the fall session before Thanksgiving, the class will meet twice during two weeks in November, on November 1 and 3, and on November 8 and 10.
Participants will learn about police work through the perspective of a variety of guest speakers, including members of the police department’s specialized areas. Topics will include gangs, drug enforcement, violent crime investigation, and crime prevention. In addition, there will be an opportunity to ride along with an on-duty officer, demonstrations by the Aviation, Canine and Mounted Units, along with visits to the Emergency Communications Center, MNPD Crime Lab, and gun range.
“Our Community Police Academy is an important part of our commitment to engage with Nashvillians from neighborhoods throughout the city,” Chief John Drake said. “This is really a unique and fun way to learn about our police department’s many components.”
Each participant should commit to attending at least 10 of the 12 sessions, be a Davidson County resident/business owner at least 21 years old, and have no arrest record. While completion of the course gives residents an understanding of the workings of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, it does not make a participant a certified law enforcement officer.
Since the Community Police Academy program began in 1995, 1,950 folks have attended.