PEABODY — The Peabody Police Department will once again be hosting a Citizens Academy.
The 10-week program is open to Peabody residents and city employees. It begins on Wednesday, April 28 and will be held every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. through June 21.
Depending on the number of people who sign up to participate, sessions will be held at the department’s headquarters at 6 Allens Lane.
“The Citizens Academy allows residents to become much more familiar with the inner workings of the Peabody Police Department,” said Police Chief Thomas Griffin. “Participants gain an entirely different perspective into the community in which they live when they learn to see things through the eyes of a police officer.”
The department’s Citizens Academy, now in its 11th year, is a unique program that offers community members an opportunity to get an insider’s view of the daily duties of police officers, dispatchers, clerical staff and others who work within the police department.
Several topics will be covered in the academy, including computer crimes, CRACE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events), terrorism, the legal process, motor vehicle law, patrol procedures, domestic violence and Investigations.
The program also includes a firearms class where students will have the opportunity to shoot various weapons at the department’s indoor firing range, as well as participate in motor vehicle stop scenarios.
A new topic this year is police reform.
“This is very, very important that citizens know what it does and what it doesn’t do,” said Police Capt. Scott Richards, who is spearheading the academy. “People don’t fully understand it. It will affect our policies and procedures, some that will be changed, especially concerning de-escalating and use of force, so it is very important that people understand this.”
Academy instructors include members of the Peabody Police Department, the Essex County District Attorney’s office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Peabody Healthy Collaborative. All instructors are well-versed in their respective subject matter and strongly encourage class participation.
“We hope and expect that participants will graduate from the Citizens Academy with a newfound appreciation for what we, as police officers, do,” said Richards. “Participants will finish with a good deal of firsthand knowledge of how the department operates. It will be a real eye-opener.”
Peabody resident Jennifer O’Brien, who along with 28 others attended last year’s academy, said the program was beneficial.
“For years, I’ve seen the academy advertised and thought, maybe I’ll do that, so I am so glad I did,” O’Brien said after the academy’s final session last November. “It’s been very eye-opening. I know being a police officer is a dangerous profession, but I had no idea how dangerous it really is.
“Especially now with COVID, and the rise of domestic violence issues because people aren’t going out, it’s very bad, so again, this entire experience for me has been very educational and informative.”
The program will be limited to 25 people. Since the police station can only accommodate 15-18 people due to COVID safety protocols, the backup plan would be to relocate to the Northshore Mall, where last year’s fall session was held in the space previously occupied by the Banana Republic store, Richards said.
“We are so excited to be able to run the spring session after missing it last year,” said Richards. “It’s a wonderful program. We feel we have a great department and this is one of the best opportunities we have to be able to shape the negative narrative about police into something positive by getting this information to our citizens.”
For more information about the program, call Sgt. Javier Sanchez at 978-538-6396 or Richards at 978-538-6359.
To download an application, visit the department’s website at www.peabodypolice.org. Completed applications can be mailed to or dropped off at the Peabody Police Department, 6 Allens Lane, Peabody, Mass., 01960, or emailed to Sanchez or Richards at [email protected] or [email protected], respectively.
The application deadline is Thursday, April 22.
