Citizens’ Police Academy

Registration open for 2024!

Download CPA Application

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office is once again offering Harford County residents the opportunity to attend the annual Citizens’ Police Academy — an 11-week program designed to provide residents with a better understanding of the Sheriff’s Office and its operations while fostering partnerships between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities it serves.

The Citizens’ Police Academy for 2024, which is free of charge, will be held every Wednesday evening beginning March 13, 2024 through May 22, 2024. It is open to any Harford County resident 18 years of age or older. Each class will begin promptly at 6:30 PM and will last two hours. Community groups, businesses, and elected officials also are encouraged to nominate individuals to participate.

Weekly classroom instruction, which will be held at various Sheriff’s Office facilities throughout the county, will include overviews of nearly every aspect of Sheriff’s Office operations, from patrol services and criminal investigation to the agency’s K-9 Unit, Court Services, and Special Operations divisions. Deputies will provide presentations on topics such as personal safety, drug identification, and gang activity. Students will supplement their classroom training with field trips to the Harford County Detention Center, the Harford County Emergency Operations Center, Harford County Circuit Court, the Southern Precinct, and the firearms training facility in Broad Creek. As part of the Citizens’ Police Academy, students will also have the opportunity to participate in real-life role-play scenarios that will test their abilities to make the same split-second decisions deputies make on a daily basis. In addition, students will be given the opportunity to sign up for special classes with the VIRTRA state-of-the-art use of force simulator. Join us and learn how the Sheriff’s Office works with community members to make Harford County a safe place we can all enjoy.

Alumni Association

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni Association was formed to bring together graduates of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Police Academy to:

  • promote and improve community relations and crime prevention awareness;
  • provide opportunities for alumni continuing education and involvement; and
  • assist the Harford County Sheriff’s Office in any appropriate manner.

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