Anybody looking to learn more about law enforcement in their community will get their chance this summer.
Lathrop Police Services is currently looking for residents who want to participate in the Citizen’s Police Academy that begins on May 1 – a six-week session that includes a look behind the curtain of San Joaquin County’s largest law enforcement agency and the gears that make it turn.
From 1st through June 15 – for six consecutive Wednesday evenings – participants will engage in classroom activities that focus on important policing elements such as patrol procedures, narcotics, gangs, community-oriented policing, domestic violence, evidence collection and fingerprinting. A tour of the San Joaquin County Jail is also scheduled to be a part of the program.
Those wishing to participate must be at least 18 years of age, with no prior felony or misdemeanor arrests or convictions within one year of application, and all participants must be able to pass a Sheriff’s Department security check.
The classes, which are held at the Lathrop Generations Center – located at 450 Spartan Way – will run from 6 to 9 p.m.
Enrollment is limited to only 35 participants, and those interested in taking part are urged to fill out an application before the submission deadline of Friday, April 17, at 4 p.m. Applications can be picked up in person at Lathrop Police Services, located at 15597 Seventh Street or at Lathrop City Hall – located at 390 Towne Centre Drive – or at the Lathrop Community Center at 15557 Seventh Street. Applications from also be found at the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.
Those enrolled will interact closely with representatives from Lathrop’s law enforcement community and learn firsthand the methods and the approaches that go into the community oriented policing model employed by Lathrop Police Services through a contract with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department.
Unlike the Junior Police Academy, which is held during the day over summer break to allow students to attend, the Citizen’s Police Academy is geared towards working adults who want to learn more about their community and what efforts are being made to keep it safe.
The academy is one of a handful of tools that Lathrop Police Services uses to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the public. Past participants in the Junior Police Academy have gone on to become Explorers in the Sheriff’s Office program, and active deputies that patrol San Joaquin County have been hired out of that program.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
