The Town of Tonawanda Police Department conducts a Citizen Police Academy (CPA) every January. NOTE: To be eligible for the Advanced Class you must have completed the Basic Class.
For information please contact:
CPA Coordinator - Detective Lieutenant Gary Reinhart at 716-879-6632
ACADEMY TOPICS
The Town of Tonawanda Police Department will once again be hosting Citizen Police Academy classes. The next class will be the BASIC class starting in January of 2024.
Applications are now being accepted.
You can click this link to download the form to return.
- Public support is essential in law enforcement, and the Citizen Police Academy is an excellent opportunity to bring the citizens of the community and law enforcement personnel together.
- The goal of the Citizen Police Academy is "Understanding through Education". This is accomplished by the exchange of information between the citizens and the Citizen Police Academy instructors.
- Participants will be introduced to various aspects of law enforcement. Subject matters covered include; patrol operations, criminal and homicide investigations, narcotics, traffic and criminal laws as well as other law enforcement related topics.
- The academy will meet each Tuesday evening for 13 consecutive weeks from 7:00 to 10:00 P.M. at the Town of Tonawanda Police Headquarters.
- Class size will be limited to 25 participants. Anyone interested must complete an application, which may be obtained by calling Detective Lieutenant Gary Reinhart at 716-879-6632.
- Completed applications should be returned as soon as possible and will be kept on file for filling future academy classes.
Minimum Requirements
- Open to applicants at least 18 years of age.
- Preference will be given to Town of Tonawanda residents.
- 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.
Highlights:
- Tour of Headquarters
- Forensics
- Constitutional Law
- Penal Law
- Use of Force/shoot-don’t shoot simulator
- Drug Enforcement
- Juvenile Bureau
- Traffic Enforcement
- Community Policing
- Dispatch and Communications
- Major Crime Scenes
- Students will also participate in a four hour ride-a-long with an officer on patrol.
The Citizen Police Academy is conducted in a classroom setting with all classes taught by Town of Tonawanda Officers who have extensive training and experience in the subject matter.
At the completion of the thirteen-week program, The Chief of Police and/or Town Supervisor will present students with a graduation diploma.
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 Town of Tonawanda Police Department has sponsored a Citizen's Police Academy since the spring of 1997
Mission Statement
The goal of the Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) is to educate the citizens of the Town of Tonawanda about the operation of their police department while obtaining valuable feedback from those citizens. In partnership with the community, we strive to provide service based on excellence and to ensure a safe and secure environment.
Values
We respect and uphold the rights and freedoms of all members of society. We believe policing is a shared responsibility, and recognize the necessity of developing and maintaining strong partnerships with individuals, organizations and agencies within our community.
