ORANGE, COUNTY OF, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT (6) - 2011

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ATTACHMENT A 2011-DJ-BX-2532 City: Irvine The City of Irvine (Police Department) proposes to use the 2011 Justice Assistance Grant funding as follows: Purpose Areas: The purpose area of the project will focus mainly on law enforcement, as well as, prevention, education and community outreach. Program Narrative: The Irvine Community Police Academy program is a training and education program designed to provide Irvine citizens first-hand information about how the Irvine Police Department, related law enforcement and the justice system work collaboratively. Moreover, graduates of the program act as advocates and serve as an important lifeline into the community. Participation requires a commitment of one night a week for a 9-week period, with graduation occurring the 9`` week. The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to the traditional law enforcement academy, but the weekly sessions are not designed to make the participant a law enforcement officer. The City of Irvine's Community Police Academy is a unique program in that graduates are encouraged to join the "Community Police Academy Alumni Association" a 50l(3)(c) non-profit corporation located in the City of Irvine. The Community Police Academy Alumni Association was formed on January 1, 2000, to bring together graduates of the Community Police Academy of Irvine to enhance the relationship between the community and to support the Irvine Police Department. The Irvine Community Police Academy has proven to be a valued program designed to educate the community on the concept of Community Policing, Police Oriented Problem Solving and the resources the Irvine Police Department can provide in addition to traditional law enforcement practices. With a better understanding, it becomes easier for police and residents to work in partnership to identify and implement solutions to neighborhood and community problems. Moreover, the Community Police Academy allows members to work with police officers collaboratively to achieve realistic solutions to neighborhood problems relating to crime, fear of crime and quality of life issues. It has been demonstrated that increasing community awareness and participation reduces the prevalence of crime. Taking this new understanding a step further, graduates of the Community Police Academy are eligible to become "Volunteers in Policing Patrol." In this way, the Community Police Academy is an important first step that is interrelated and is a prerequisite to residents who want to participate in Volunteers in Policing Patrol. Collectively, these "goodwill ambassadors" play an important role in acting as liaisons between the police and the community. The Irvine Police Department recognizes that today, more than ever, law enforcement agencies need to draw upon the experience of residents thereby tapping into a tremendous community resource of volunteers and resident ambassadors. Utilizing residents who want to volunteer their time and skills to the Irvine Police Department afford active police personnel to perform their duties more efficiently and thereby help to promote and foster innovative community based policing. The instructors for the Community Police Academy are department executives, veteran officers, and personnel who teach in their own areas of expertise. Each instructor has years of training and experience in their field. Sworn officers also bring street experience into the classroom. Participants will have the 2011-DJ-BX-2532 Page 20 of 38 20A-28