Citizen Police Academy (CPA)

Citizens Police Academy Behind the Scenes at the WSPD

Minimum Requirements

  • Open to applicants at least 18 years of age.
  • Must reside, work or attend school in Forsyth County.
  • Be able to make a commitment to the 13-week course. Those who attend 10 of the 13 sessions will be awarded a certificate of completion.
  • A criminal history check will be conducted on each applicant. Applicants with felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions within past year, or a history of suspected criminal activity, arrests or convictions will not be considered.
  • Accepted applicants are expected to wear appropriate casual attire to academy events, and conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.
  • Accepted applicants will be issued identification badges that must be worn during all academy activities.
  • Application review and acceptance may take several weeks. 
  • Acceptance into the program is at the sole discretion of the agency and is designed to serve the best interests of the agency.

Benefits

The Citizen's Police Academy offers citizens insights into how police officers perform their duties and how the department as a whole serves the community. The overall goal of the Academy is to improve police and community interaction. For this reason, the Winston-Salem Police Department has sponsored a Citizen's Police Academy since the Fall of 2000.

Mission

The ultimate goal of the Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) is to educate the citizens of Winston-Salem about the operation of their police department while obtaining valuable feedback from those citizens.

Curriculum

Sessions include instruction in:

  • Canine Operations
  • Constitutional Law
  • Crime Analysis
  • Crime Prevention
  • Criminal Investigation
  • Evidence Management
  • Firearms Training Simulator (FATS)
  • Juvenile Law
  • Major Crime Scene Investigation (practical)
  • Patrol Ride-a-Long 
  • Police Communications and Technical Services
  • Professional Standards
  • Recruiting/Training
  • Special Enforcement Team Demonstration
  • Subject Control / Use of Force
  • Vice and Narcotics
  • Violent Crimes Task Force
  • And more!

 2023 Citizens Police Academy

  • Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from August 10 - November 2, 2023.
  • Meeting times are from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Alexander R. Beaty Traning and Support Center, 1200 N. Patterson Avenue, Winston-Salem.

Apply Now!