The Thin Line Spotlight

The Thin Line Spotlight: Noblesville Citizens Police Academy

Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided

Lieutenant Bruce Barnes with the Noblesville Police Department (NPD) is enthusiastic about the department’s Citizens Police Academy.

“The purpose of the Citizens Police Academy is to familiarize citizens with the operations of the police department,” Barnes says. “This includes classes on patrol procedures, criminal law, narcotics, search and seizure, tactical operations, investigations, juvenile law, firearms demonstration, emergency vehicle operations, use-of-force issues and police K-9 demonstration. Participants also have the option to ride with a patrol officer and witness the street activity our officers encounter on a day-to-day basis.”

Barnes says the concept of the Citizens Police Academy was developed in 1977 by the Devon and Cornwall police in England.

“The idea came about when citizens told their local police agencies that they were anxious to learn about how their police department operated,” Barnes says. “Once the agency decided to explore the possibility, it became apparent that there was enough of an interested base to move forward with the program.”

Barnes notes that the objective of the Citizens Police Academy is not to create quasi-cops, but rather to produce informed citizens.

“The academy is intended to open lines of communication between the community and the police department,” Barnes says. “By allowing citizens a firsthand look at the police department and how its operations are handled, citizens take away a better understanding of the police’s role in the community. Additionally, citizens bring a wealth of knowledge about their community, and particularly the problems in their neighborhoods. In this way, police are able to learn and better understand the concerns of the citizens.”

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Classes are held in the spring and fall of each year, and class size is limited to 15 attendees. Classes are held every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

“We ask that attendees live or work in Noblesville and they are at least 16 years old,” Barnes says.

Barnes says the concept of the academy began in 2013 in Noblesville at the direction of former Chief of Police Kevin Jowitt.

“Chief Jowitt instructed me to put together a comprehensive overview of the Noblesville Police Department and the law enforcement services that we provide to the community,” Barnes says. “The challenge was trying to identify those topics and areas that we felt would be most appealing or relevant to the community, while at the same time addressing more complex areas such as policing philosophy, police administration, budgeting, use of force and the criminal justice system.” 

Barnes adds that the academy offers citizens a unique look into the law enforcement profession and the police department that can’t otherwise be achieved during a short conversation.

“The 12-week program explores a range of topics that require explanation, illustrations, demonstrations and discussion to ensure an appropriate understanding of how a police department and its police officers function,” Barnes says. “Class members do a wonderful job of asking great questions, and provide a tremendous amount of feedback regarding their thoughts on topics that are important to them. Citizens are also encouraged to share their thoughts and/or concerns on any range of topics, and that is where true understanding takes place between law enforcement and the community.”

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Barnes says the feedback from the Noblesville community has been exceptional.

“When the program first launched in the fall of 2013, we received such an overwhelming amount of interest that we were booked two years out,” he says. “Most attendees describe the experience as educational, eye opening, and in-depth.”

Barnes says the academy has been a remarkable platform for the police department and the community to come together in order to better learn and understand each other.

“The Noblesville Police Department firmly believes that the Citizens Police Academy is an instrumental program in fostering a stronger partnership with the community through education, communication and understanding. We are grateful to each of our graduates for their time and commitment to the Citizens Academy and in their endeavor to be more informed citizens.”

For more information, contact Barnes at 317-776-6340.


The Thin Line Spotlight is sponsored by Kahlo.

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