Citizen’s Police Academy

The Citizen's Police Academy is a program which was developed in 2005 by the Police Department to establish a better relationship with the community through education, awareness and communication. The Citizen's Academy's goal is for the community members to better understand the actions of the department and the actions of our police officers. The police officers also receive the opportunity to become familiar with community members and are able to learn more about the needs of the citizens they serve.

Application Process

The Citizen's Academy will select citizens through an application process. Each citizen must fill out an acceptance application (DOC) in its entirety and submit it to the Police Department with an authorization for a brief background check to ensure participants do not have pending felony charges.

Due to the sensitive nature of law enforcement, the Klamath Falls Police Department reserves the right to decline any application submitted for this program. All documents submitted become the property of the Klamath Falls Police Department. Applications will not remain on file for future academies after participants have been selected.

Course Outline

• There will be a total of 10 classes over a 12 week period. Classes will vary in length but most are about two hours long.
• Classes will be taught by a variety of Klamath Falls Police Officers who have expertise in the topic they are covering.
• Some of the topics may include criminal and traffic law, use of force, crime scene investigation, firearms training, patrol procedures, specialized units, crime prevention and others.
• Citizens may participate in two ride-alongs with police officers during their shifts. This may occur at the beginning and upon completion of the academy.
• After completing the Citizen's Academy, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Citizen Qualifications

• Citizens under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• All Klamath County citizens are welcome to participate, to include; residents from Siskiyou, Modoc and Lake Counties.
• Citizens must have no pending felony cases.