Community Police Academy

The Community Police Academy is an educational and informative program that allows citizens the opportunity to learn about the issues that face law enforcement efforts in Champaign County. This program is offered in cooperation with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, University of Illinois Police Department, Urbana Police Department, Champaign Police Department, Rantoul Police Department, the Mahomet Police Department, Parkland Public Safety, and District 10 of the Illinois State Police.

Goals of the Academy

The Community Police Academy is yet another mechanism for local police departments to inform the public of what they do and obtain citizen input, assistance, and support throughout the county. Goals are to:

  • Provide stronger citizen/police relationships
  • Enhance lines of communication
  • Reduce crime in our community

Benefits to Champaign County residents

  • Citizens and police officers have an opportunity to work closely together.
  • Lines of communication between community residents and their police are enhanced.
  • Citizens gain the ability to make informed decisions regarding controversial issues faced by their communities.
  • Citizen involvement with their local community and police departments is enhanced.
  • Citizens gain a better understanding of how their police departments work and develop ways in which the community can better reduce crime.
  • Citizens become aware of the problems facing their police departments.

Next Academy: September 13, 2023 - November 8, 2023

The Community Police Academy is held once a year and consists of three-hour blocks of instruction conducted weekly over a 9-week period. Classes will be held at the Police Training Institute on Wednesday evenings from 6 – 9 p.m. (unless otherwise instructed).

Each evening of instruction has been designed to not only inform participants of various crime problems, but also seek their ideas for possible solutions. The instruction will be provided by Police Training Specialists from PTI as well as officers and trainers from participating agencies. Graduates of the program will receive a certificate of completion.

Topics of Instruction

Orientation to Law Enforcement and Police Training Crime Scene Investigation Firearms and Terrorism
Judicial System K-9, SWAT, and Bomb Squad Demos Drug Enforcement
Courts and DUI/Police and DUI Tour of the Champaign County Jail and METCAD Safety and Neighborhood Crime Watch
Control & Arrest Tactics, Use of Force and Traffic Stops Explosive Ordnance Disposal Ride-along with Local Police Department
Crime Stoppers Community Policing Laws

Contact

Inquiries regarding the Champaign County Citizen Police Academy should be addressed to:

University of Illinois
Police Training Institute
1004 South Fourth Street
Champaign, IL 61820-6104
(217) 333-2337

For information about the National Citizens Police Academy Association, visit https://ncpaa.us/