Ever wonder what it takes to be a police officer? This fall you can give it a shot, at least in the classroom, at Hartford's annual Citizen Police Academy.
This isn't some career-day quick peek at the job. It's a 10-week night course designed to expose citizens to multiple aspects of the criminal justice system. The course covers how the Hartford Police Department operates, as well as topics including police training, dispatch, crash investigation, impaired drivers, DUI court, domestic violence, juvenile crime, school resource officers, interviews and interrogations, sexual assault, drug crimes, use of force, firearms and community policing.
The class begins September 17 and runs from 6 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday through November 19.
The course is limited to 20 participants, who must be 18 years of age and have no prior felony convictions. There is an application process and each applicant is subject to a criminal background check.
For Hartford residents interested in learning more about the police department, but not wanting to commit to a 10-week course, the department also has a Citizen Ride-Along Program.
