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Commerce offers Citizen's Police Academy, Youth program

Commerce Police Department

Multiple classes are coming to Commerce this summer.

The first class of The Commerce Citizen’s Police Academy is scheduled to start June 5.

The Citizen’s Police Academy has been established to promote an understanding of the Commerce Police Department and its policies and procedures.  Police work is filled with many variables that require professional solutions.  The goal is to address perceived suspicions and misconceptions by establishing mutual trust and cooperation between the police and the citizens of Commerce. It is also an opportunity to promote civic awareness.

Participants will attend classroom presentations, lectures and “hands-on” experience activities that will offer participants valuable insight into the day-to-day operations of the Commerce Police Department.  Likewise, department employees receive direct feedback from members of each class.  This two-way communication between police officers and the community further the efforts to improve the quality of life for residential and business communities. The Citizen’s Police Academy is designed to build a bond of mutual trust and respect between the police department and the community.  Additionally, the academy highlights the importance of citizen participation in public safety so that the community may remain free from the fear of crime.  

Some of the topics that will be addressed in the 10 week program are Patrol Procedures, Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene, Building Searches, Firearms, Traffic, Criminal and Juvenile Law, Crime Prevention, Special Operations, Jail Procedures, DWI and Communications. 

The classes will be held on Thursday nights from 6:30 pm to 9:30 p.m. and class members must be 18 years of age and in good standing in the community.  They must also pass a background investigation and either reside or work in the Commerce area. 

For those interested in participating in the program, please contact the Commerce Police Department at (903)886-1139 for more information.  Applications are also available at the lobby of the Commerce Police Department at 1103 Sycamore.

Also, a new Commerce Police Department youth summer program is slated to start on June 19.

The Commerce Police Department in a partnership with the Commerce-Community Action Program, Texas A&M University - Commerce, Commerce ISD, area churches and Civic Organizations is introducing a new program geared towards teens ages 12 to 17.  The program is a once a week program in which the teens will be thought leadership, civic pride and other skills while doing a service project. The main purpose is to keep kids busy while doing something worthwhile and to provide a positive bridge between the police and their families.  Although the primary focus is on the kids, it is considered critical that the parents, grandparents or guardians play an active role in the process. 

This program will involve police, volunteers and children in a one day per week function that will start on June 19th and will run until August 14th.  This program will be kicked off with a meeting with the parents or guardians of interested teens on May 29th.  This meeting will focus on a workshop where parents will be invited to share their feelings about law enforcement in the community, the police department’s role in serving both parents and children and how we as a city can strengthen that relationship.  This meeting will be held at the Commerce City Hall Council Chamber.  

For those interested in participating in the program or volunteering, please contact the Commerce Police Department at (903)886-1139 for more information.  Persons who wish to volunteer will need to be screened prior to the start of the program by the Commerce Police Department.