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Each spring and fall the Vernon Hills Police Department hosts a program known as the Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) for ten lucky residents age 21 and over. The CPA is a free 12-week program in which participants meet once a week for 2 ½ hours each week to learn about law enforcement. In fact, they don't just learn about any law enforcement, but specifically Vernon Hills law enforcement. In the past, members of the CPA have ranged from individuals considering law enforcement as a career, to senior citizens who wish to learn more about their police department. Sometimes husbands and wives participate in the class together.
Highlights of the CPA include a lesson in the safe use of firearms and a ride-along with an officer on patrol. Members also have an opportunity to experience the FATS (Firearms Training System) machine. The FATS machine is a computerized judgmental police training device that uses laser equipped weaponry. That's a fancy way of saying it's like an interactive video game!
Sound interesting? The CPA has been a very popular and well-critiqued program since its inception in 1994. There is normally a waiting list for participation, but names are always accepted. Interested residents should contact the Crime Prevention Unit at (847) 247-4888 or via e-mail. We have a brochure that we will be happy to mail to you that further explains the program and contains comments from past participants.
Although Vernon Hills was one of the first communities in the area to offer a Citizen's Police Academy for its residents, the concept is nationwide. All citizens are encouraged to contact your local police department to learn about the availability of a CPA where you live. You can also visit the web site of the National Citizen's Police Academy Association.
To give you a better idea of the program, here's the most recent schedule from the Fall 2006 Session (the program has been expanded to 12-weeks for the spring 2007 and beyond):
Here's some photos from some recent Vernon Hills CPA classes:
Attorney Evan Winer addresses a class.
Det. Katzenstein teaches a class about evidence collection.
A recent CPA class graduation.
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