URBANA – The University of Illinois Police Department on Thursday announced that it will hold a Community Police Academy designed for students, faculty and staff to learn more about policing, crime and the criminal justice system.

Campus community members will have the opportunity to sign up for the academy in either the fall or spring semester. Each academy will take place during a three-hour class period each week over the course of four weeks.

Class sessions will include presentations and demonstrations from members of specialized units like investigations, patrol, the crime scene unit, SWAT, bomb squad and K-9. Participants will also have the opportunity to ride along with a University of Illinois Police officer.

Over the course of the class, participants should expect to learn about crime patterns and how to stay safe on campus, as well as the challenges and opportunities that face police officers during the course of their daily activities.

 “This academy is an opportunity for Illinois community members to learn about policing from the department that serves them,” said U. of I. Police Chief Craig Stone. “It’s also an opportunity for our officers to interact with the community members they serve and develop a sense of community around safety issues.”

The first class is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays from Oct. 11 through Nov. 1. Those wishing to receive information about how to sign up can visit go.illinois.edu/CommPoliceAcademy.

There is no cost for participating, but signup is only available to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students, faculty and staff.

The University of Illinois Police Department will continue its participation in the Citizen Police Academy run through the Police Training Institute, which is open to anyone in Champaign County with a sponsorship from their local police department.

Stone said that the Community Police Academy for those affiliated with the university is a successful model for those wishing to learn more about policing so they can make informed decisions and stay safer.

“We look forward to providing this opportunity as a way to build bridges and relationships with the community we serve, and doing it in a way that we hope is informative and entertaining for the participants,” Stone said.