Police Department Seeks Students for Police Academy

Do you want to better understand what it’s like to be a police officer? If so, the Foster City Police Department is looking for residents to join its Citizen Police Academy.

“There are two really important things we want to accomplish,” said Capt. Jon Froomin. “Number one is introduce them to what the police department does. Number two is make people less apt to be a victim of a crime."

The academy runs from Sept. 6 to Nov. 8; classes are scheduled from 7 to 9:30pm on Tuesdays. The deadline to apply is Aug. 16.

The academy covers the department’s history and operations along with its patrol, traffic and investigations divisions, according to a Police Department news release.

The department is planning a half-day Saturday session for driver training where citizens will drive through a cone course similar to what officers use, Froomin said.

Plus, the department is hoping to have students try out a use of force simulator, where participants will be fully armed in a virtual scenario.

“If the situation requires the use of force, they would actually take out their gun and shoot,” Froomin said. “Once it’s done they are able to rewind the situation and show them where they started shooting, where their rounds hit.”

The department requires at least 20 qualified applicants to hold the class. Students must be at least 18 years old and complete the application process.

Interested applicants should contact Sgt. Tracy Avelar at 650-286-3328 or tavelar@fostercity.org.