East Hampton Police Accepting Applications for Citizen Police Academy

The East Hampton Town Police Department’s 2025 Citizen Academy is now accepting applications, with the Spring 2025 session scheduled to begin on March 5.

A 10-week program, the Citizen’s Police Academy gives participants firsthand insight into how the town’s police officers perform their duties and serve the community.

The Academy will include presentations on crime scene investigations, special victims, laws of arrest, the Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit, the Emergency Services team, the Dive team, virtual firearms training, DWI investigations and traffic stops, use of force, hate crimes and domestic violence. The program will also include a tour of the police station, a ride-along with a police officer, an evening at the Suffolk County Police Department Firearms Training Section and a chance to experience the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC). The goal is for graduates to leave the academy as more informed citizens with an insider's view of local law enforcement functions and operations.

The free, interactive 10-session program will run one to two times per week from 6 to 9 p.m. between March 5 and May 14.

The course is open to those who live in East Hampton Town, are 17 or older and have a valid driver’s license. Applicants will be subject to a background check. The application submission deadline is Wednesday, February 26. Those seeking more information can call 631-537-7575, extension 542.

“We encourage residents to join us for this unique experience designed for East Hampton Town community members to gain greater insight into law enforcement and a working knowledge of the values and operations of the East Hampton Police Department,” Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said in a January 27 statement.

CHRISTOPHER WALSH