Eleven weeks. One night a week. And for many participants, a completely changed perspective on the people who patrol their streets.
The Rio Rancho Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy is currently underway, with roughly two dozen residents getting an inside look at how one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing cities keeps itself safe.
The program, which began in 2017, was built on a simple premise: the more residents understand how the department operates, the stronger the relationship between the community and its police force.
“They had no idea that a police department had so many different moving parts to it,” Capt. Nick Army told The 528. “They’re very appreciative of dispatch. They had no idea the hurdles that our dispatchers have to overcome on a daily basis.”
The curriculum goes well beyond a standard classroom lecture. Participants rotate through presentations and hands-on demonstrations covering criminal investigations, traffic enforcement and DWI stops, SWAT and K-9 unit operations, use-of-force simulations, and the realities of a routine patrol shift. Participants can also ride along with patrol officers or sit in with dispatchers and crime victim advocates to see the work firsthand.
Chief Stewart Steele said the program is intentionally designed to reach beyond residents who already support the department.
“The whole idea is to give people a better view of what we do,” Steele said. “It’s an opportunity for our citizens to get to see us as human beings — no matter what unit you’re in. And for us, it’s getting to know our citizens.”
Steele said he once overruled a suggestion to screen out an applicant known for publicly criticizing the department at city meetings.
“Absolutely not,” he recalled saying. “That’s who we want to reach.”
That philosophy appears to pay off. Army said participants who arrive skeptical typically leave with a different outlook.
“By the time they’ve gone through the class, they say, ‘You know what? That was actually really good,'” Army said.
The academy caps enrollment at 30 residents per session and is offered twice a year, drawing around 20 participants on average. The current class has approximately 23 students, including at least one prospective officer who enrolled specifically to better understand the job before applying.
Graduates are invited to join the CPA Alumni program, a volunteer group that has become one of the department’s most consistent sources of community support — showing up for awards ceremonies, toy drives and other events throughout the year. More than 40 alumni attended the department’s most recent awards ceremony.
Steele said maintaining that community trust will only become more critical as Rio Rancho continues to grow.
“You can’t arrest yourself out of crime problems, and you can’t simply community police yourself out of it,” he said. “No matter how big the city gets, this will always be an effort — at least as long as I’m chief here.”
The academy is free and open to Rio Rancho residents and business owners 18 and older. Applicants with violent or felony criminal histories are not eligible, though minor misdemeanor cases are reviewed individually. The department holds sessions in the spring and fall at police headquarters, 500 Quantum Road.
I can only recommend this class. It uncovers the various activities one of the finest Police Departments does. You will meet various Law Enforcement professionals revealing the human side of police work! The K9 presentation is awesome. The class begins with the Chief giving an elegant introduction and final class ends with you the citizen actually doing a virtual police situation. Graduation certificates are issued and you can still participate as a graduate.