SAUGUS – The Police Department is gearing up to give residents a chance to experience life behind the badge when the Civilian Police Academy begins next month.After a nearly five-year hiatus, Lt. Leonard Campanello is restarting the classes that give civilians a taste of what it’s like to be a police officer.”They will learn all about the ins and outs of their Police Department,” Campanello said. “It will be a truthful discussion on what goes on in their Police Department and what they can expect from their Police Department in the future.”It will also be fun, he said.The class covers subjects from criminal procedures to crime scene investigation, where Campanello joked they would debunk some of television’s “CSI” myths. There will also be classes on self-defense, patrol procedures, drug investigation, as well as a tour of the Middleton jail and a ride-along. Campanello said the ride-along is where willing participants are allowed to ride along with a police officer during their regular shift.Campanello said he is interested in giving citizens a clear and honest picture of life as a police officer and he expects participants will take away a lot from the class as well.The 19-year veteran who was recently promoted to lieutenant had been teaching the course since 1999 when it was canceled in 2004. He said then he viewed the class as an educational tool and he and other instructors would always answer any questions honestly. Only one subject, he said, was taboo – politics. Politics, he said, were simply too volatile.”Because we’re starting late, this (fall’s) class is condensed into seven weeks,” Campanello said. “In the spring we’ll have a 10-week course.”The course is free and open to residents 18 years of age and older. It will start Wednesday, Oct. 15 and run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Building on Hamilton Street.Campanello said applications could be picked up at the station. For more information on the program call Campanello at 781-941-1100.