Senior Citizens Police Academy - Program Schedule

Week One

Week one starts with an overview of the Metropolitan Police Department, including our mission, organization, and structure. The first class also includes an overview of the Citizens Advisory Councils and their role within the agency. The class will conclude with a tour of department headquarters.

Week Two

Week two provides the students with an overview of community policing and how it differs from traditional policing. The class includes an overview of the Neighborhood Services Initiative and the role of agency collaboration at the local level.

Week Three

Week three includes an Introduction to the department’s community policing strategy, Policing for Prevention, concluding with a practical application of how to partner with police to address neighborhood problems using the five-step Partnerships for Problem Solving model.

Week Four

Week four covers the "Ins and Outs" of police communications. The class provides the overall purpose and structure of the Office of Unified Communications, as well as the system for prioritizing and dispatching calls for police service. Students receive tips on how to make emergency (9-1-1) and non-emergency (3-1-1) calls, what number to call, what to report and the system for addressing problems or concerns.

Week Five

Week five covers a variety of police procedures, including stop and frisk, making an arrest, "papering" a case and Fourth Amendment issues. The course includes a look at the criminal justice system after the arrest, how to maneuver through the system to find out information about a case and how to proactively participate in the criminal justice system.

Week Six

Week six gives students a glance at the MPD’s Special Services Command, which includes detectives, forensics, and other specialized units, and provides crime-prevention strategies for auto theft and environmental crimes.

Week Seven

Week seven includes a tour of the department’s Maurice T. Turner Jr., Institute of Police Science (IPS), a presentation on the use-of-force policies of the Department and a handgun demonstration. The course concludes with a trip to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Cheltenham, Maryland, and a demonstration of the MPD’s "Shoot or Don’t Shoot" program, a firearms simulation that helps police officers make decisions about firing their weapons.

Week Eight

Week eight provides students with an in-depth view of Emergency Preparedness and how residents can play an active role in supporting homeland security.

Week Nine

Week nine provides seniors with tips on how to prevent victimization, including awareness of scam operations and how to stay safe in everyday activities.

Week Ten

Week ten gives students information on "How To Start a Citizen’s Patrol," participate in or revamp existing efforts as well as tips on how to start a Neighborhood Watch program and take a proactive role in fighting crime.

Week Eleven

Week eleven includes an introduction to the Metropolitan Police Department’s volunteer opportunities and how to start an alumni association or participate in other organized police-community crime-prevention efforts.

Week Twelve

Week twelve provides students with the opportunity to offer feedback on their ride-along experience and how strategies and skills learned in the program have been applied in local neighborhoods or police districts. The group discusses problems or issues as well as resolutions.

At the conclusion of the program, Academy graduates will have the opportunity to participate in a graduation ceremony.

Contact: 

For more information, contact Yvonne Smith at (202) 727-8809.

• Register for the Senior Citizens Police Academy [PDF]
• Fax completed form to (202) 727-9524.
• Senior Citizens Police Academy Fact Sheet  [PDF]