Twice each year, the Cape Coral Police Department conducts a Citizen’s Police Academy, an eight-week orientation program designed to give citizens an in-depth, hands-on look at how and why the police department does what it does.

The Citizen’s Police Academy is a streamlined version of the “real” police academy training that law enforcement officers must complete before they become certified. Attendees participate in a wide variety of activities, including Firearms Training (yes, you will shoot a gun), Ride Along on Patrol, Defensive Tactics, Traffic Safety, Criminal Law, Tactical Driving, Police Communications, Mentoring Programs for Youth, and other interesting topics.

The Citizen’s Police Academy generally meets one evening a week for three hours, in Council Chambers at Cape Coral City Hall. Some sessions, such as Firearms Training and Tactical Driving, are conducted off-site and during daylight hours, usually on a Saturday.

For more information, or to register for the Citizen’s Police Academy, call the police department’s Community Outreach Programs Unit at 242-3342.

To sign up for the academy, download the application from the below link:

Citizens Police Academy Application