Residents’ Police Academy
An Invitation from the Chief…
On behalf of the Fresno Police Department, I would like to invite those of you who live or work in the City of Fresno to participate in the Residents’ Police Academy. This valuable program is offered with the goal of enhancing, through education, the relationship between the Fresno Police Department and the Community we protect and serve.
The course is not only educational, it is fun and exciting. In addition to sessions in the classroom, you will tour our most interesting facilities and enjoy hands-on experiences with the law enforcement tools used by our officers.
Classroom topics include: Patrol Procedures, SWAT, Internal Affairs, Officer Involved Shootings, Homicide, Traffic Enforcement, Gangs, and others. You will tour our Dispatch Center, Crime Scene Bureau (CSI), and test your skills on the Use of Force and Driving Simulators that we train our officers on. Your class will go to our K-9 and Mounted Patrol facility for demonstrations, to our Skywatch hanger to see how our Air Support Unit works, and you’ll take a tour of the Fresno County Jail.
One of the favorite classes is at our new Training Facility Firing Range, where you will have the opportunity to shoot the different types of Fresno Police Department service weapons currently in use in the field.
I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to come and get to know how the Department operates and meet the men and women who protect your city. I also hope that upon completion of the course, you may want to consider continuing your involvement with the Fresno Police Department by participating in one or more of the many opportunities for which you will be uniquely qualified.
I look forward to meeting you,
Paco Balderrama
Chief of Police
The time commitment was well worth the experience I gained from this class. It gave me a deeper understanding and a tremendous appreciation for the challenges and difficulties the personnel at the Fresno Police Department face in their daily duties, and how very hard they work. I highly recommend this course for everyone!
— Stefani Booroojian
The Fresno Citizens Police Academy is fun, educational, interesting, entertaining…loved the field trips. It’s the only way I know of to be able to shoot guns, crash cars, go to jail and not be arrested! I learned so much about the Fresno Police Department. Thank you for the opportunity.
— Donna Gavello
The Fresno Police Academy is without-a-doubt the most meaningful session a resident of Fresno could attend. It gives you insight into the men and women and the professional services that affect our everyday lives. It’s time very well spent.
– Colin Dougherty
As a graduate of the inaugural class of the Fresno Citizens Police Academy, I continue to enjoy the benefit of the information and education I received through that experience. It is increasingly important to understand and appreciate what goes into good, effective law enforcement practices, and the Academy enables all of us to gain that understanding.
– Jackie Ryle
The Citizen’s Police Academy is a very informative and fun hands-on look at how our Fresno Police Department works. Each session leaves you looking forward to the next.
–Jim Moody
” This program has been an eye opening experience to what outstanding civil servants we have in our community. They are all so devoted to making this a better and safer community for us all. This program gives you the opportunity to witness this first hand.
– Cindy Davis”
Classes meet once a week for 12 weeks from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Upon completion of the 12 weeks, community members have the choice to continue for another eight classes to train to become a Citizen on Patrol Volunteer. The classes are held at a predetermined location within the City of Fresno.