Peabody Police To Host 20th Citizens Academy

PEABODY, MA — The Peabody Police Department is inviting residents looking to learn more about the day-to-day actions and operations of the city's force to join the 20th Citizens Academy set to begin next month.

The weekly academy runs on Wednesday nights beginning on Oct. 15 and running through Dec. 17.

Topics covered include: politics in policing, terrorism, motor vehicle law, patrol procedures, domestic violence, criminal investigations and community policing.

There will also be a K9 demonstration, a drone demonstration and a firearms workshop where participants will be allowed to utilize various weapons at the indoor firing range.

Field trips include motor vehicle stops and a trip to the Middleton jail.

Instructors include officers from the Peabody Police Department, the Essex County Sheriff's Office and the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

"We hope and expect that participants graduate from the Citizens Academy with a newfound appreciation of what police officers do," Capt. Scott Richards, the academy director, said. "Participants will finish with a good deal of first-hand knowledge of how the department operates and challenges that police officers face daily.

"It will be a real eye-opener."

Space is limited with the application deadline on Oct. 8.

Applications can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)