Citizens’ Police Academy

The West Goshen Township Police Department periodically hosts a Citizens' Police Academy, whose primary objective is to afford an opportunity for community, business and religious leaders to become informed about the many aspects of police work. The Academy is designed to give the attendees an understanding why police respond to various situations in a particular way and how they ultimately handle those situations. It will give attendees the opportunity to see the benefits of public service and learn about the challenges and demands associated with law enforcement.

We believe the academy experience will be a pleasant introduction to the role of policing and its role in society. Our attendees will gain a greater understanding of the safety procedures required in policing and will learn some of the techniques used in addressing crime in our community.

Our ultimate goal is to foster relationships between law enforcement, communities and businesses. We hope to create a partnership with the community, thus creating a better quality of life for those we serve.

Applying to Join

The Citizens' Police Academy is free. Acceptance to the academy is not guaranteed. Applications shall be thoroughly reviewed and, if accepted, you will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Acceptance is at the sole discretion of the Chief of Police; attendance is limited and West Goshen Township residents will be given priority for acceptance.

Electronic application submissions (send via e-mail to mcotter@westgoshen.org) are permitted for consideration; however, if accepted into the program, the original shall be required by the Police Department.

Please submit the Citizen's Police Academy application along with your criminal background check which can be obtained here: https://epatch.state.pa.us/ 

2022 Academy

The application deadline for the 2022 Citizens' Police Academy is Thursday, September 1, 2022.

Class Periods

The Academy will be held every Wednesday evening, for 8 consecutive weeks beginning September 14th. Classes will begin at 7 pm and last approximately 2 hours. Additionally, there will be one class on a Saturday (TBD) for CPR training.