Click here to begin the application process.

When you've just got to know more!

Ok, so most of what you know about the San Marcos Police Department is what you've experienced when you received a citation for speeding. Or maybe it was that time your house was burglarized while you were away from home. Or even worse, was it when something really tragic happened in your life. What ever it was, you probably didn't get to see the real San Marcos Police Department. That is one reason the Citizen Police Academy was designed.

• What is the Citizen Police Academy?
  The Citizen Police Academy is a unique learning experience conducted by the police department and designed to give citizens a better understanding of the mission and operations of their police department. The 12 week course consists of one session per week and three hours per session. Participants will be apprised of the basic information that all police officers must know to perform their jobs and includes such topics as patrol tactics, criminal and narcotics investigations, use of force, communications, officer training, DWI procedures, family violence, juvenile law, as well as many other interesting topics.

• Who may attend?
  The class is comprised of a cross-section of citizens from the San Marcos community. While each class is different, it wouldn't be unusual to find doctors, architects, homemakers, laborers, students, secretaries, salespersons, and others enrolled in the Academy. The minimum age for enrollment is 18 and you must live in or work in the City of San Marcos to be eligible to attend.

• The purpose!
  The San Marcos Citizen Police Academy was created to bring a closer working relationship between the San Marcos Police Department and the citizens of San Marcos. This community relations program will allow local residents to learn the inner workings of the Police Department while officers discover more about the community, it's citizens and what the community's expectations are in regard to law enforcement.

• When and where do the Academy classes meet?
  All classes will be held at the police department on Tuesdays in the spring and on Thursdays in the fall. Classes begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at about 9:00 p.m. Two additional six (6) hours sessions will be held on Saturdays for "hands on" exercises and attendance is optional. As part of the academy, each student will ride at least once for a minimum of three hours with an on-duty Police Officer. Scheduling will be discussed further during the first Academy session.Students will also get to sit is the dispatch area for a few hours.

• Attendance requirements
  Students should plan to attend every session. However, should a student have a conflict with a meeting date/time, up to three sessions (or 9 hours) can be missed and the student will still graduate. Any student who misses more than three sessions will not be allowed to graduate, even though they may be allowed to attend all other sessions until the end of the Academy.

• Who are the instructors?
  Officers and civilian employees of the police department are chosen for their expertise in the topic being taught. Some of the instructors have no formal training as instructors but often are better able to teach the course than any teacher could.

• What do I do to apply for the Academy?
  Simply pick up an application at the San Marcos Police Department or down load it from this Web site (see below) and return it to the Citizen Police Academy Manage at the police department. Since space is often limited, applicants should return their applications as soon as possible after deciding to attend the Academy. Anyone not selected to attend the Academy due to space unavailability will be placed on a waiting list for future Academy classes on a first come, first served basis. Whether accepted to the Academy or not, you will receive information on your application's status.

Click here to begin the application process.

For further information on the Citizen Police Academy, please contact the Citizen Police Academy Manager at (512) 754-2205.