Citizens Police Academy Awarded Tops in the Nation

Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
News Release: 09/176/LHC
June 26, 2009

Citizens Police Academy Awarded
Tops in the Nation

The Fairfax County Police Citizens Police Academy was awarded “Agency of The Year” by the National Neighborhood Citizens Police Academy Association at their annual meeting held in Anchorage, Alaska recently.

The goal of the program is to open the lines of communication between the community and the police department by offering residents a firsthand look at the many specialty units within the law enforcement agency and to share the rules, regulations and policies officers are required to follow. A combination of classroom lectures, tours, and hands-on activities, the program encompasses a wide variety of activities. Additionally, the “Glimpse Behind the Badge” program engages residents as they investigate mock crime scenes, step inside the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and have an opportunity to ride along with an on-duty officer.

The FCPD hosted its first academy in spring of 2002 and has been reaching out to welcome hundreds of diverse Fairfax County residents into their courses ever since.

Largely comprised of a staff of dedicated volunteers, the classes are popular with the community and typically have an enrollment waiting list. Visit the Citizens Police Academy page on the police department’s web site to learn more about the program and participant eligibility requirements. For further information, call 703-280-0713 or email questions to CPA@fairfaxcounty.gov.