The Lexington Police Department has what’s called the Citizen’s Police Academy.

The academy began in 2005 when the department noticed a lack of connection to the community. It’s meant to engage residents in the daily regimen of the Lexington officers.

“We want the community to see what we do every single day and the hard work that they put in to make this town one of the best towns in South Carolina,” Justin Matthews, a member of the community action team, said. 

Classes are limited to 25 students and are taught by the Community Action Team. This year’s class consists of 19 people and will occur over nine weeks. The application window has already closed but there will be more Citizen’s Police Academy programs in the future so locals can learn more about a day in the life of a public safety official.

“It's a great opportunity to let them see officers firsthand and experience it one-on-one in a classroom and the field setting,” Matthews said.

For the first time, the course will have a more interactive curriculum, including voluntary firearm instruction, stop-the-bleed training and a demonstration from Lexington Police K9 Donny and his handler, Officer Matt Morrison. 

“We're really excited about these hands-on opportunities that they're gonna get,” Matthews told the Chronicle. “They’ll see a demonstration of the canine and even meet Donny. For those interested in learning how to shoot and feel comfortable with a gun … we’ll take them to a range to learn from instructors.”

The program will meet every Tuesday beginning March 19. The curriculum covers all of the department's divisions across all classes. 

“We cover some stuff about gangs, victims advocate, the patrol division, with a kind of deep dive into our criminal investigations division, as well as our traffic unit. We cover basically every unit of our department.”

The academy will conclude with a graduation on May 21 when participants will be awarded a certificate of completion.

“The certification is a community event,” Matthews said. “We have a few this year who are interested in becoming officers and they’re using this as a way to see if it’s something they really want to do.”

Participants can also become VIPS, or Volunteers in Police Service. The academy is a prerequisite to becoming a member of VIPS.

“VIPS is a great way to volunteer and help make our community events great,” Matthews said.   

Applications for the 2024 academy class have closed, but applications will still be accepted for next year’s waitlist.