Individuals interested in learning more about the Princeton Police Department or policing may consider applying for the upcoming Citizen’s Police Academy.

Sign up for the academy began Friday, July 1, and will conclude Sunday, July 31. Individuals eligible to apply must be 18 years of age or older and reside or work in the city.

The academy will begin Aug. 25 through Nov. 17, encompassing 13 different sessions, said Police Chief Mark Moyle, and will be held at the Municipal Center. Each session is scheduled for three hours, from 7 until 10 p.m. Thursdays and will take place in the department’s briefing room.

The main focus of the program is to educate residents, Moyle said, adding that it will allow the department to show participants how it trains and operates.

“It also helps build the relationship between the city and the community,” Moyle said. “With all the systemic issues we face in our society, we can’t do this alone. We have to be a partnership in terms of how we face all those issues.”

Some of the topics the class will cover include the department’s policies on the use of force, covering felony traffic stops and narcotics, said Moyle. However, the department is still in the process of confirming officers or outside visitors who will teach a session, so some sessions may be subject to change, he added.

For the full story, see the July 14 issue of The Princeton Herald.