​Police Citizens Academy

Many visitors to the Seattle area often travel through the Port of Seattle, arriving at either SeaTac Airport or through one of the port’s cruise ship terminals.  Travelers new to the area often seek help navigating their way through the crowds and often come in contact with port police officers for assistance.

 

Port police officers are usually most visible when they are directing traffic or patrolling the terminals on foot.  However, this is just part of their many duties as a port police officer.  So exactly how does a port police officer differ from city police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and state troopers?  Well, these are just some of the questions addressed throughout the Port of Seattle Police Citizens Academy.

 

The Citizens Academy is a unique opportunity for community members to learn firsthand about the many challenges of policing a major port jurisdiction bordering several different cities. The Citizens Academy is presented in 10, two-hour sessions, covering subjects such as: patrol procedures, community policing, recruitment and field training, criminal law, domestic violence in the workplace, narcotics, criminal investigations and crime scene analysis, SWAT, criminal street gangs, explosives detection and bomb squad.

 

The purpose of the Citizens Academy is to foster positive relationships with our community consisting of nearly 100,000 daily travelers and the thousands of other employees and contractors who comprise the Port of Seattle.  Citizens Academy participants also have the unique opportunity to ride along with a patrol officer responding to calls for service and take a boat tour with the marine patrol unit.

 

Each Citizens Academy instructor has years of training, street experience, considered experts in their respective fields, and provide insights not ordinarily available to those outside the department.  The classroom atmosphere is highly interactive and students are encouraged to ask questions and discuss topics of interest with instructors.