Fort Collins Police Services Community Police Academy provides community members with an inside look at local law enforcement. The Community Police Academy began in 1992 and was created to develop a strong partnership between community members and Fort Collins Police Services. Through the Academy, our police agency is truly open to the community! This type of partnership and education increases understanding and builds trust. The Academy gives an inside look at our organization and exposes participants to the daily operational duties of police officers and our professional staff.

The Community Academy is taught by Police Services members, each highlighting their individual area of expertise. During the multi-week academy, participants learn about the training of police officers, special units including the K9 program, mental health response, investigations, arrest control techniques, Internal Affairs, dispatch, records, and more. Academy members can ride along in a patrol car or sit along with dispatch to experience firsthand the activities police officers and dispatchers are routinely exposed to and how they handle each situation. The 2024 Community Academy will take place over six weeks, generally meeting for two and a half hours on Thursday night, with one extended Saturday session. The next session will start on September 5, 2024. There is no cost to attend. The Community Academy is different from our Fort Collins Police Academy, which newly hired FCPS police officers attend for 22 weeks.  For information on becoming a FCPS police officer, please see our recruiting page.

Potential candidates for the Community Police Academy must be at least 18 years of age, live or work in the City of Fort Collins, have no prior felony convictions, and have no misdemeanor arrests within one year of application. Fort Collins Police Services offers one academy each year. There is no cost to those attending the academy, just a commitment to attend all classes. Please complete the application if you wish to attend. Questions can be sent to Sergeant Mike Boward at mboward@fcgov.com.