Citizen Police Academy reconvenes at South Patrol Campus this fall

By John Sharp

South Kansas City residents and persons who work or attend school in the south Kansas City area of KCMO and are at least 18 years old will have a convenient place to attend this fall’s free program of the Kansas City Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy to learn more about police operations and how they can work with KCPD to make their families, businesses and neighborhoods safer.

The weekly sessions for those who live, work or study in KCMO generally will be conducted at the South Patrol Police Campus, 9701 Marion Park Dr., from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning September 2 and ending November 18, and refreshments will be served. The session that would fall on Veterans Day, November 11, will be moved to Thursday, November 13.

One session will be held at KCPD’s regional training academy at 6885 NE Pleasant Valley Rd., and one will be held at KCPD’s crime lab at 2645 Brooklyn.

The program also will include a ride-along for participants with KCPD officers at different times of the day that are mutually convenient.

Participants who attend at least nine of the sessions and take part in the ride-along receive a certificate of completion traditionally awarded by the KCMO Chief of Police at a graduation ceremony at the end of the program.

Sherrie Smith, president of the Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association, and Angela McCune, Citizen Police Academy coordinator for KCPD, will explain more about what participants will learn from the program at the public meeting of the South Kansas City Alliance at 6 p.m. Monday, August 11, in the front building of the South Patrol Police Campus.

Persons may submit their applications to participate at the meeting, or they may email McCune to request one at Angela.McCune@kcpd.org.

Since sessions sometimes fill up, it’s wise for interested persons to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Due to the nature of the training, KCPD does conduct security checks on all applicants and does reserve the right to approve the selection of applicants.