Ames residents can ride along with police officers, learn how to shoot guns and observe arrests through an 11-week course offered by the police department.

Through the Ames Citizen’s Police Academy, the Ames Police Department works to enhance police and community relations by giving the public an insight into police procedures and policies that are often questioned by community members.

“Our goal is to provide a setting to teach citizens policies and procedures that they want to know more about,” said Tom Shelton, community resource officer for the Ames Police Department.

Shelton said topics covered during the 11-week program include how to shoot a gun in real-life scenarios, history and communication aspects of the Ames Police Department and demonstration of force.

The program uses both lectures and hands-on learning to cover the topics.

Participants also have the opportunity to ride with police officers and observe regular procedures such as general patrol, routine traffic stops and drunken-driving encounters.

“Nothing is required, but I do encourage citizens to ride with a police officer more than once,” Shelton said. “I can tell them what to do in certain situations, but until they have been there, they won’t really know.”

Shelton said he has three goals for program participants: riding with the police, developing a community project and electing a group president and vice president.

Shelton said the officers are elected to oversee the basic components of the project and to be sure all goals are carried out. The current class will choose its officers next week.

Upon completing the program, members graduate from the citizen’s police academy.

Shelton said the graduates leave the program with a better knowledge of how the police department operates.

“When they graduate, they are not certified police department officers, but they understand and see why and how we do things,” Shelton said. “Then they can get that out.”

Since the first class in 1999, 103 community members have graduated from the citizen’s police academy.

However, Ames is not the only city in Iowa with the program. The Des Moines Police Department and Story County Sheriff’s Department offer similar academies.

The Coralville and Iowa City Police Departments, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and University of Iowa Public Safety have teamed together to create a citizen’s academy.

“We started the course in 1996 so our police could better communicate with the citizens of our community,” said officer Pat McCoy, Coralville Police Department community relations officer.

Although courses from Ames and Coralville/Iowa City have similar attributes, they differ in collaboration and management of classes.

The Coralville Police Department works with three other police groups from the area, including U of I Public Safety Department. Currently, the Ames Police Department does not incorporate the Department of Public Safety in the Ames citizen’s academy agenda.

“This just isn’t something that we have thought about or done before,” Shelton said. “It’s not that we are not up to the idea – it is just implementing it.”

Shelton said university concerns are usually brought up and addressed during the sessions.

DPS Lt. Isra Harahap said he thinks a university perspective would be a good asset to the program. “I think with the Ames community would benefit from knowing what procedures and policies DPS has, especially when so many citizens attend university activities,” he said.

Although the university does not have a program like the Ames Citizen’s Police Academy, students are encouraged to participate in the city program.

“We have a huge age diversity, from 19-year-olds, to retired members of the community, as well as a good variety gender and ethnic participants,” Shelton said.

Ames has a waiting list for people interested in the next session, Shelton said. The only restriction for participation is a clean background with no committed crimes.

The Ames Citizen’s Police Academy meets on the third floor of the Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Ave. It is offered twice a year for 11 weeks, meeting once a week from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Applications for the next session are available through current participants as well as the Ames Police Department.