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71 FBI L. Enforcement Bull. 19 (2002)
Citizen Police Academies: Do They Just Entertain

handle is hein.journals/fbileb71 and id is 370 raw text is: Citizen Police Academies Do They Just Entertain? By ELIZABETH M. BONELLO and JOSEPH A. SCHAFER, Ph.D. In the past two decades, citizen police academies (CPAs) have become increasingly popular among American police agencies of all sizes. Departments design CPA programs to provide partici- pants with a basic idea of crime and policing in their communities. Several authors have suggested that CPAs help improve public relations and increase partnerships between citizens and the police.) Despite such suggestions, little research supports or disproves the impact of CPA programs on participants. Consequently, whether police de- partments are getting the most out of their citizen academies remains unclear. HISTORY OF CPA PROGRAMS At the heart of the philosophy of community policing is collabora- tion, communication, and interac- tion between the police and the community they serve.2 Law en- forcement agencies across the United States have experimented with a wide variety of programs in an effort to build cooperation and facilitate communication with local citizens. Such efforts will foster new alliances between the police and the public, in part, by removing some of the mystery and uncertainty that surrounds police work. Many departments have developed and implemented CPAs. CPAs, condensed versions of regular police academies, first were developed in the United Kingdom in 1977 for the purpose of acquaint- ing citizens with the nature and structure of policing.3 The United States first tried the idea when the Orlando, Florida, Police Depart- ment launched their CPA in 1985.4 Graduates obtain a window into the organization and get a view of the people who have the responsibility of protecting their neighborhoods. CPAs typically combine classroom lectures, demonstrations, and, in many cases, a ride along with a police officer to educate partici- pants. Graduates usually share their experiences and beliefs with their November 2002 / 19

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