The South Bend Police Department is excited to announce that applications are officially open for the 2026 Spring Citizens Police Academy!
The academy will be held Tuesday evenings at SBPD from March 3 – May 5, 2026.
This free course typically runs nine weeks, but this academy will technically span over 10 weeks, as the class will not meet on April 7 due to Spring Break. Classes are held on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in our auditorium.
Also, we ask people to apply by February 13, though space is limited… and we may close registration if we have reached our desired number of applicants prior to that date.
Participants will have a chance to participate in several hands-on, interactive lessons from various specialty units of the South Bend Police Department, including:
- Patrol
- SWAT team
- Crime Scene Technicians
- Bomb Squad
- Hostage/Crisis Negotiators
- K9 Unit
- Real-Time Crime Center
- Narcotics Enforcement
- Detective Bureau
- Communications
..and more.
Participants must be 18 or older and agree to a criminal background check.
