The mission of the Citizens Police Academy is to build cooperative relationships between citizens and the police through training and education. The police academy produces a network of informed citizens who can return to their neighborhoods to organize, encourage and mobilize others, and partner with police in reducing crime in Rockford. The course curriculum includes sessions on patrol operations, 911 center operations, community policing, crime prevention through environmental design, crime analysis, criminal law, and city ordinances, among others. Interested citizens must be 18 years of age or older to participate.