Starting April 9Th you can see first-hand what it takes to be a police officer.

The Citizens Police Academy is 10 classes, by application only, each with a different focus.

Officers hope this will give a deeper insight into what police officers do.
They believe if the community is more educated about how the department operates it will create a more trusting relationship between citizens and the police.

"That's our goal to just really be transparent. Explain to them what we're up against, our work load, how much time it takes to do many different things. It's not just a matter of clearing something up in a couple minutes. There's a lot of work that goes into a lot of things at that police department on a daily basis and when you graduate you'll have good, detailed information about what we do," says Sergeant Greg Collins.

There are some exciting features. Some attendees will get the chance to ride along while police are on duty.

You must be 18 to apply for the classes and submit to a background check.

You can pick up an application at the Parkersburg Police Department.