The Carbondale Police Department is sponsoring its eighth Citizen’s Police Academy in hopes of creating improved communication and dialogue between the community and the department.

The free session, which is limited to 25 people, begins Feb. 2 and runs 11 consecutive Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m. There also will be two Saturday classes that will be scheduled at a later time.

“The classes offer the opportunity for citizens to understand how the police department works and provide them with connections, so that if they ever wanted to touch base on what is going on in the community, they would know who to go to within the department,” Carbondale Police Community Resource Officer Jeff Vaughn said.

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The class topics, ranging from judge perspectives to criminal justice, are taught by Carbondale Police officers and professionals in related fields.

“No one goes in and teaches unless they are considered proficient in that field,” Carbondale Police Sgt. Luanne Brown said.

Vaughn said that one of the only problems is that people want more information from the class than can be provided in the limited time.

“It will be 10 at night and people will still be sitting there wanting to know more,” he said.

Most of the classes are held at the Southeast Waste Water Treatment Plant, which is the department’s training building.

Participants also get to tour the crime lab and the police department and experience other out-of-the-classroom training. They are instructed on what an officer’s equipment includes, and what standard operating procedure in situations such as DUI, hostage negotiations, youth operations, internal operations and patrol tactics.

“People walk away with a good understanding of our police department, how it works and how it’s structured,” Vaughn said.

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At the end of each session, a graduation ceremony is scheduled that all alumni are invited to attend.

“People usually complete the program singing it’s praises,” Brown said.

For information, contact Jeff Vaughn at the Carbondale Police Department, 457-3200 ext. 428.