Citizens' Police Academy

The East Lansing Police Department (ELPD) will host its 2023 Citizens’ Police Academy this winter/spring. Community members interested in learning more about the criminal justice system and the role of ELPD are encouraged to apply.

About the 2023 Citizens' Police Academy

The academy will run for 11 weeks, meeting from 6-8 p.m. on most Tuesdays from Jan. 24-Apr. 18 (no class on Mar. 7). The academy will consist of 20 hours broken up into 10 separate days, once a week. The group will meet in the ELPD Emergency Operations Center, 409 Park Lane. The 10-class program is designed to give citizens a working knowledge of the police department, while also assisting ELPD in becoming more aware of the issues and concerns of the community. Featuring classroom and hands-on instruction, the course will cover a different area of the police department each week. Some issues and topics that will be covered include: use of force, patrol procedures, criminal investigations, Neighborhood Watch, disaster preparedness, active shooter, the history of civil disturbances and alcohol in East Lansing. The course will also include an ELPD K9 Unit demonstration.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include anyone 18 and older who is affiliated with the City of East Lansing, whether they are full-time residents, students, business owners or other citizens with a community connection. ELPD hopes to have a diverse cross-section of the community be a part of the 2023 course. The Citizens’ Police Academy is free and open to all who are eligible; however, class size is limited to 15-20 individuals. The department will conduct a background check on each applicant and notify selected applicants prior to the start of the course.

Online Application

The application can be filled out and submitted online here. The deadline to apply is Jan. 18 or until the class if full.

Questions

Community members with questions can contact Sgt. Adrian Ojerio at aojerio@elpolice.com.