Citizens Police Academy

Community Policing

In order to provide the citizens of Hartselle the opportunity to learn more about their police department, officers, support staff, and the day-to-day operations of the department, the City of Hartselle Police Department is sponsoring a Citizens Police Academy.

Residents of the City of Hartselle and the surrounding area who are at least 21 years of age or older, are eligible to attend the Citizens Police Academy. Applicants will be selected on a first come, first serve basis. In order to preserve an acceptable student-to-instructor ratio, class size is limited to 20 students.

If you are interested in attending the Citizens Police Academy, please complete the application and mail it to the Hartselle Police Department, 150 Chestnut Street NW, Hartselle, AL 35640. You may pick up an application at the police department.

While every effort is made to enroll all applicants, the Hartselle Police Department reserves the right to deny applications based on an individual's known criminal history.

Students must attend five out of six class sessions in order to receive a certificate of program completion. There is no fee to participate and all necessary class materials are provided. Each student will receive a Citizens Police Academy T-shirt and a certificate of completion.

The Academy Class

The academy class is comprised of a six-week program. Sessions are held each Thursday evening from 6 - 9 pm, at the Hartselle Police Department Training Center located at 106 Sherrill Street. The course covers many different areas within the Police Department including administration and budget, patrol duties, criminal investigation, narcotics investigation, as well as all other operations within the department.

A unique portion of the program is hands-on-training in which citizens take an active role in working through different simulations regarding officer responsibility. Simulations include topics such as traffic stops and domestic situations. Also included as part of the hands-on training, citizens will be able to attend a firearms familiarization course where they will learn about and fire department issued weapons.

Alumni Association

The Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association exists to assist the Hartselle Police Department with its overall mission. The Alumni Association supports the Police Department by volunteering and fostering the belief that the preservation of public welfare is the duty of every citizen. As a citizen group, the Alumni Association offers a helping hand to the Hartselle Community in an effort to improve the quality of life by developing and coordinating various projects that are meaningful and rewarding experiences for our community. The Hartselle Police Department provides the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association with education in law enforcement and community concerns.

For more information, contact Captain Robert Finn at 256-751-4912.