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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

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More than 50 Jackson residents will gain insight into law enforcement tonight during the Jackson Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy.

Students will learn about the department’s 911 Communications Center, Investigations Unit, firing range, the Police Training Academy and more. The Citizens Academy runs through Oct. 10

“We find that this program is a very engaging and eye-opening experience for our residents and they develop a deeper appreciation for the work that the Jackson Police Department does,” Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said in a statement. “The true benefit the city realizes from this program is that many of the citizens become ambassadors for JPD and work with us when they return to their neighborhoods.”

The Citizens Police Academy aims to provide citizens a deeper understanding of the police department and how it carries out the mission of public safety and crime prevention.

To enroll in future classes, call 601-960-1389.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.