The concept of a Citizen's Police Academy was developed in 1977 by the Devon and Cornwall, England, Constabulary. The first attempt at a citizen police academy in the United States was in Orlando, Florida, in the 1980's. The mission of that CPA was to increase understanding of police department functions. Purpose Here in Joliet, our Citizen's Police Academy was developed in 1993.
Many academies teach a shortened version of the actual police academy training.
However, the goal of the Joliet Police Department CPA is a lot different, with a much stronger community orientation. It provides a great opportunity for community leaders to learn about our department and how law enforcement works. In addition, it gives participants an opportunity to share their ideas and opinions. The role of the police is often ambivalent to many people. To outsiders, it may frequently appear that the police are either not doing their job, or exceeding their boundaries.