Citizens Police Academy Builds Community Relationships Through Education

Through the creation of the Citizens Police Academy, the Georgia Tech community now has the opportunity to learn how the Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) — with its more than 80 sworn officers — is specifically trained to help ensure the community’s safety.

“GTPD deploys some of the most sophisticated technology and training methods in the country to protect our community members,” said Randy Barrone, captain of GTPD’s administrative division. “We have found that building awareness of what we actually do as a police department is a great way to connect to those we protect.”

The Citizens Police Academy, a community-based policing initiative, develops stronger ties between GTPD and the community by helping community members better understand police work in the area. Community-based policing has proven effective and continues to be a vital tool in preventing and controlling crime in the Tech community.

“I was amazed by the experience and level of sophistication demonstrated by all the presenters — many of whom are Georgia Tech graduates,” said Mia Reini, director of Enterprise Risk Management and past participant in the Academy. “I really learned a lot from the hands-on demonstrations and have a much better appreciation for all that these dedicated officers do in the course of
their day.”

This spring, GTPD will conduct its third Citizens Police Academy class and is inviting the campus community to participate. The classes are limited to 12 attendees, and slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Each session lasts about three hours, with nine sessions during the month of April. 

Topics covered will include:

• Department overview and mission
• Crime prevention
• Patrol and police standards
• Firearms and use of force
• Investigations
• Law enforcement use of technology
• Active shooter preparedness and mobile field force
• Special events and K9
• Emergency preparedness

Learn more at police.gatech.edu/academy, or contact Officer Brian Bonus at brian.bonus@police.gatech.edu.