The next Ocean City Citizens' Police Academy will be held every Thursday from Feb. 27 through May 1. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
The Ocean City Police Department is accepting applications for the 2025 Citizens’ Police Academy.
The academy gives the public a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the everyday life of a law enforcement officer.
The Ocean City Citizens’ Police Academy was organized in 2022 and offers residents the opportunity to learn about the internal operations of the police department.
The overall objective of the academy is to provide residents with “sound and accurate information” about the police department and the criminal justice process, according to a description of the program.
Participants will be able to share their experiences with family, friends, co-workers and their community to further improve and strengthen community-police relations.
Each week, a different unit or area of the police department is presented, such as: Community Policing Unit, Traffic Safety Unit, K-9 Unit, Police Dispatch, IT Unit, Training Unit, Detectives and Administration. This year, the department will add a block of instruction on the Drone Unit.
The academy is free and open to all Ocean City residents and business owners ages 18 or older. Classes will be held every Thursday from Feb. 27 through May 1 at the Ocean City Free Public Library (some sessions may be held at other locations such as the Ocean City Police Department).
Applications can be picked up in person at the Ocean City Police Department or downloaded here. Citizens’ Police Academy class size is limited. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (609) 525-4252.
Note: This is not an application to become a police officer.