Community leaders from throughout Greene County will gain an inside look at the criminal justice system as the Greene County District Attorney’s Office’s Citizens Police Academy begins Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Waynesburg University Center for Criminal Justice & Forensic Investigation.
The educational program will bring participants together with law enforcement officers, prosecutors, investigators, forensic professionals and criminal justice educators.
The 10-week academy will meet each Tuesday at 6 p.m. through Nov. 17, with sessions lasting approximately two to three hours. The program is designed to provide participants with a greater understanding of the criminal justice system through presentations, demonstrations and hands-on experiences.
Topics to be covered during academy sessions include an overview of the criminal justice system, dispatch and patrol tactics, specialized investigations, use of force and verbal de-escalation, crime scene investigation, criminal investigations, behavioral analysis, forensic techniques, the criminal court process and corrections. Participants will also tour the Center for Criminal Justice & Forensic Investigation and have opportunities to experience the University’s specialized training tools, including the driving simulator and MILO de-escalation simulator.
The academy’s specialized investigations session will feature topics including K-9, drone and Fish & Wildlife investigations. Other sessions will explore fingerprinting, crime laboratory and forensic techniques, jury selection and trial procedures, among other areas.
The academy will conclude with a graduation ceremony on Nov. 17. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion and a Citizens Police Academy challenge coin.
The program is being hosted at the Waynesburg University Center for Criminal Justice & Forensic Investigation, located at 51 West College Street in Waynesburg.
The Citizens Police Academy is intended to foster greater understanding of how justice is administered in Greene County while providing community leaders an opportunity to connect with public safety professionals.
For more information about the Greene County Citizens Police Academy, contact Adam Jack, Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences and Director of the Center for Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation, at 724-852-3211 or ajack@waynesburg.edu.
About Waynesburg U.
Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University’s Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.
