LOVELAND, Ohio — The Loveland Police Department is accepting applications for its 2026 Citizens’ Police Academy, a free 10-week program that gives residents an inside look at how local officers do their jobs.
Applications are due July 30, according to the department. The academy begins Sept. 2 and runs through a graduation ceremony on Nov. 10, with residents 18 and older eligible to apply. Space is limited, and the department said the program tends to fill up quickly.
Participants will cover investigations, use-of-force policy, narcotics investigations, gun safety and defensive tactics over the course of the academy, the department said in a post announcing the applications. The curriculum also includes a tour of the jail, a K9 demonstration, time with the fire department and Air Care, and a run through the department’s MILO training simulator, which uses video scenarios to walk civilians through the split-second decisions officers face on the job.
Loveland police have run the citizens academy since 1998, with the stated goal of building relationships between officers and the neighborhoods they patrol and giving residents a clearer picture of what local law enforcement actually involves. Sessions typically meet one evening a week for about three hours, according to the department.
Graduates of the program can go on to join the Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association, a volunteer group of past participants that meets every other month and turns out to help the department staff community events throughout the year.
Residents with questions about the 2026 class can contact Detective Jesse Moore at [email protected], the department said.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Loveland Police Department.