Space still available in Newport police citizens’ academy

Seats are still available for the free Newport Beach Citizens’ Police Academy beginning Jan. 26.

The 12-week course will give students an up-close look into routine police operations, including hands-on demonstrations on lifting fingerprints from a crime scene, traffic stops, patrol ride-alongs and a trip to the shooting range, said police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

“It’s an opportunity for us to open our doors to the public so that they can see what officers do and ask those questions they haven’t been able to ask before,” Lowe said. “It also is a chance for us to meet the members of the community and get to know them better, too.”

The class meets 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays and is open to those who live or work in Newport Beach. The course repeats in September. A youth version for teens is held in the summer.

For more information or to apply, visit https://www.nbpd.org/programs/citizens.

— Sarah Peters

Twitter: @speters01