Join your local Citizens' Police Academy now!

Informational seminars on public safety are held in communities across the nation, and some are also headed by the FBI. George Zimmerman applied to such an organization before he shot and killed Trayvon Martin in Stanford, Fla.

In Cobb County, Ga., I talked to Rene Cameron (770-499-4100) who takes applications for the program. She said the Spring session of the program was cancelled because only six people applied, and they needed twelve participants.

"It's a 13-week class that goes into every aspect of public safety," Cameron said. She said the present application may change before the August class begins and presently is nine pages long. You must be a Cobb resident over 21 years of age or a Cobb County employee in order to attend.

Lieutenant Jonathan Durant of the Atlanta Police Department said their Citizen's Academy starts April 18 and is a seven week program held on Wednesday nights between 6 -9 p.m. (right when some folks are attending Bible study at church!)  He will email you an application if you contact him at the Training Academy by calling 404-209-5250. Metro Atlanta residents are given preference, however, if not enough participants, others may apply. The application includes a consent form for a criminal background check.

The mission of the training is to "educate the citizens of Atlanta with the operation of their police department while obtaining valuable feedback from the citizens to enhance police/community relations."

Be proactive! Apply to join the Citizen's Academy. George Zimmerman did!

FYI: I called the media number for the Sanford Police Department (407-364-7335) and emailed them to get verification that Zimmerman was enrolled in the program. I got a message back from Shirley, Joint Information Ctr., that all the information related to the case is on the Sanford Police Department website. The answer to the question was not easily recognizable. https://www.google.com/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=sanford+florida+police+department&oq=sanford+f&aq=0p&aqi=p-p1g-z1g2&aql=&gs_l=hp.1.0.35i39j0i3j0l2.195l5538l0l8994l17l10l4l3l3l0l135l955l7j3l17l0.frgbld.&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=cc15dadee3a28017&biw=1280&bih=683

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