I received this information from Jennifer Thoma in Patrick Dowd's office. Given the recent string of posts- prompted by the recent gay bashing- but which have centered on the police response time. The Citizen Police Academy provides a unique opportunity to intereact with the police as well as the City. I'm going to apply. Want to join me? Twice a year, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police sponsors an opportunity for members of the community to become closely acquainted with the roles and responsibilities of the Police Bureau. The Pittsburgh Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) brings the police and the community close together in a setting that offers a sample of police training to each participant. According to Dowd, involvement in this program, not only teaches citizens about the police, but possibly more importantly, teaches the police about real citizens, and helps the police learn more about how to best serve the people of Pittsburgh. On the link below, you will find out more about the program, as well as an application that must be completed and returned. http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/police/html/citizens_police.html -- Thomas C. Waters 412-400-8777 thomaswaters@mac.com http://thomascwaters.com http://QLATB.com twitter: tcwaters