APD to host 41st session of Citizen’s Police Academy

ALBANY, Ga. – In an effort to foster a greater understanding and collaboration between the community and law enforcement, the Albany Police Department gears up to host the 41st session of the Citizen’s Police Academy.

“We’re coming up to our 41st session. So, we’ve been doing this a while, covered, kind of slow this down, and now we’re slowly getting back into full gear. I think this is a great opportunity for our citizens to get involved with our department and get a better understanding of how our agency works. We’re very transparent. If you’ve ever had an interest in law enforcement or you just would like to learn more, this would be a great opportunity for you,” said Cpl. Dillard Glover, Community Relations Unit.

The APD Citizen’s Police Academy draws attention from citizens and showcases notable outcomes.

“We’ve actually had a few that have gone through the academy because it is a Citizens Academy. It’s not actually going through the process to be hired, but we have actually had several that have gone through this program that have gone on to actually come to work for the Albany Police Department,” said Cpl. Glover.

Scheduled from March 12th to April 30th, the Citizen’s Police Academy spans a duration of eight weeks; classes held on Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Corporal Dillard Glover, from the Albany Police Department’s Community Relations Unit, emphasizes the significance of understanding between community members and law enforcement.

“Almost every class that I’ve done since 2017, when I started doing it, we always have somebody in the class, they have kind of mixed thoughts about law enforcement or the police department. At the end of any one that we’ve done, those people have a different perception of our department when it’s all done and even a maybe a little bit of a different perception to law enforcement in general across the country. Education and understanding, it truly builds bridges, and that’s a part of it too. Building that bridge between our department in our community so that we continue to strive to work together and for the citizens to realize that our officers are just like everybody else. They live in the community, they work in the community in the same things that affect people in the community, affect our officers. And, you know, we all are trying to make a difference in this community, even if it’s just one little area at a time or it’s one person at a time,” said Cpl. Glover.

You can visit the Albany Police Department to pick up an application from the kiosk in the main lobby. Alternatively, you can call 229-302-0851, or visit albanyga.gov, for more information on this program.

De’Andra Jacobs reporting.

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