The University Police Department (UPD) is hosting its first ever Citizen Police Academy beginning on Sept. 21 inside the UPD Building.

The course will run from Sept. 21 through Nov. 9, on Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Students who sign up will be learning about law enforcement specifically on our campus, and will explore new career opportunities that they may not have known were open to them.

The course will cover several areas that include evidence collection, traffic enforcement, DUI investigations, and active shooter situations.

“I think this is a really good opportunity for people to learn about this stuff,” Damian Deanda (Junior, Kinesiology) said.

The course will provide an option for students to join a police officer on a ride-along and speak to a police dispatcher.

Lieutenant (Lt.) Clint Strode is overseeing this new program, and hopes that students can end the course with “more knowledge about safety, law enforcement, and what a police officer does on a daily basis” Strode said.

Another goal of the program is to “educate and promote UPD’s transparency to the community.” Strode said.

Lt. Strode hopes to continue this program in the future if there is enough interest from the community.

Even though the course material falls under the criminal justice field, it is designed for anyone who is interested in knowing how police work in a university environment.

“It’s always a good thing when people are learning about the law and how it works for everyone,” Deanda said.

The course will meet seven different times over a period of eight weeks, but only about 16 spaces are available.

There is no course credit offered; however, it is free of charge.

Applications for this program are due Sept. 16.

For more information, contact Lt. Strode at [email protected] or visit the UPD’s webpage at www.csustan.edu/upd.