Citizen Police Academy

The concept of the Citizens Police Academy (CPA) was started in England in 1977. It wasn’t until the 1990's that the concept caught on in the United States. The Hurst Police Department started its first Citizens Police Academy in October 1997. The CPA is designed to promote better understanding and cooperation between citizens and the police. The goal of the CPA is to educate citizens about the structure and activities of “their” police department. The CPA class is not a “training” class, it is an exciting “information” class, a behind the scenes look at the Hurst Police Department.

The 12 week CPA course meets once a week at the Hurst Police Department for 3 hours. Topics covered in the CPA class include overviews of the entire police organization and structure, crime prevention, criminal investigations, community policing, crime scene, property and identification, tactical team, communications center, jail, and records section. The instructors are employees of the Hurst Police Department. Upon completion of the CPA, the participants will have a better understanding of the law enforcement role in the criminal justice system and have some insight into the many challenges that face law enforcement in our complex society. In 2010, there was a total of 19 participants in both the fall and spring CPA sessions.

Applications (pdf) for 2012 sessions of the Citizen Police Academy are now being accepted. We are accepting applications for the upcoming Citizens Police Academy which starts Thursday, February 23, 2012. The classes will be held at the Hurst Police Department located at 1501 Precinct Line Road. Please contact the Hurst Police Community Services Division at 817.788.7342 for more information.