Peabody Police To Host Next Citizen's Academy Starting In October

PEABODY, MA — The Peabody Police Department will host its next Citizens Academy starting in October where residents can learn about many aspects of municipal police work in a series of weekly classes.

The class will run on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. from Oct. 16 to Dec. 18 and focus on areas such as terrorism, the legal process, motor vehicle law, patrol procedures, domestic violence and investigations.

The class involves a trip to an area firing range and the ability to ride along for police traffic stops.

"Participants gain an entirely different perspective into the community in which they live when they learn to see things through the eyes of an officer," Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin.

The classes will be conducted by members of the Peabody Police Department, the Essex County District Attorney's Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County Sheriff's Office.

"We hope and expect that participants will graduate from the Citizen's Academy with a newfound appreciation for what we as police officers do," Peabody Capt. Scott Richards, who spearheads the academy, said. "Participants will finish with a good deal of first-hand knowledge of how the department operates.

"It will be a real eye-opener."

Those interested can apply here with a deadline of Oct. 8. Applicants are advised to put in their requests as soon as possible as the classes will fill up.

(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.)