Citizens' Academy
In 1993, Jim Ahearn, then-Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI's Phoenix Division, began looking for ways to strengthen the field office’s relationship with the community. He decided on a “citizens' academy” modeled after one run by a local police agency. Since then, the Citizens' Academies have made their mark—both on the FBI and on their communities.
In 2000, the FBI Citizens' Academy was initiated by the Los Angeles Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of its Community Outreach Program.
The Academy is designed to promote a more informed community through educating business, labor, media, minority, government, religious, and community leaders in the Los Angeles area about federal law enforcement issues and challenges.
The goal of the Citizens' Academy is to foster a greater understanding of the FBI's role in the community through open discussion and to support the FBI's efforts to deliver information about their role, tools, tactics, jurisdiction, and vision for the future in national law enforcement, homeland defense, and counter-terrorism on all levels.
Classes are taught by Special Agents in Charge (SACs), Assistant Special Agents in Charge (ASACs), and senior Special Agents (SAs), and there are eight meetings over a 10-week period which features a standard curriculum:
- Practical problems involving the collection and preservation of physical evidence.
- FBI’s jurisdiction and congressional oversight.
- Structure and operation of an FBI field office and resident agency.
- Services the FBI provides to local and state law enforcement agencies.
- Discussions on ethics, discipline policies, communications, drug enforcement, civil rights, and future trends in law enforcement.
- Firearms training so participants get an idea of the extensive and responsible weapons training FBI Agents receive (also to foster an understanding of what it is like being faced with split-second, life-and-death decisions).
Click here to apply to the next Los Angeles Citizens' Academy