Crime & Safety
Citizen Academy Program Promotes Understanding Between Police and Citizens
Florissant residents who participate in this free program are offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings of their police department.
Would you like to meet some of your fellow Florissant residents and gain a better understanding of how your local police department works? If so, you might be interested in learning about the Florissant Police Department’s (FPD) Citizen Academy.
The Citizen Academy is an eight-week educational program designed by the FPD to encourage citizen involvement. The FPD started the academy in 1995. It’s part of the department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) Program.
Sgt. Kevin Boschert, the department’s public information officer, said the objective of the Citizen Academy is to “promote understanding between citizens and police officers regarding their respective needs and concerns.” FPD hopes the program will help Florissant residents and police work together better.
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“We recently completed a session,” Boschert said. “(It was) our seventeenth class.”
The program is based in a classroom environment and offers citizens a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience a bit of the training their local police officers receive. Through the use of role-playing exercises and more traditional lessons, program participants are also given a glimpse into the inner workings of the police department.
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If you choose to participate in the Citizen Academy, you’ll learn about constitutional law and how it applies to you and your interactions with the department. You’ll get the inside scoop on what officers on the street do during their patrols, what the traffic unit does and what officers are required to do during and after a traffic stop.
Participants will also learn about Tasers and firearms directly from the officers who use them. Officers will discuss narcotics and basic first-aid training, and participants will be treated to a K-9 demonstration, among other things.
Boschert said that the academy is open to all Florissant residents who are over the age of 18, so long as they complete the application process. There is no cost for residents to attend the academy.
“We’ve had a total of nearly 300 participants over the years,” he said.
If you’re interested in signing up for the next session, you can obtain an application at the Florissant Police Department, or you can download the form from the department’s website. Once completed, the registration form can be mailed to or dropped at the FPD’s office or emailed to Sgt. Boschert at kboschert@florissantmo.com.