The key to providing for the public safety of any community lies in a concept originally proposed by Sir Robert Peel, founder of the London Metropolitan Police Department. According to Sir Robert Peel, "The public are the police and the police are the public." This simple concept is the cornerstone of what has come to be known as "Community Policing." Community policing is a philosophy of providing police service that is built upon two essential elements: knowledge and understanding.

The New Bern Police Department is dedicated to providing professional police service to its citizens. It is our goal to provide a training program for citizens which they will find both useful and entertaining, and which focuses on the real world of law enforcement. As a student of the New Bern Police Department's Citizens Police Academy you will experience first hand the operation of your police department. You will learn how and why police officers do the things they do. You will also learn about the policies and procedures of the department and how the courts and the Constitution affect officer's decisions.

The Citizens Police Academy will provide an opportunity for citizens and police officers to find common ground from which to set about solving the problems of their communities. It is my hope that after graduation students will take an active role in a partnership with the police department that will help make New Bern a safer community in which to live and work.

Thank you for your time and interest,

Frank Palombo, Chief of Police

The Citizens Police Academy is designed to introduce citizens the philosophy, policies, and guiding principals of law enforcement and ethical conduct governing police services in our community. Basic classroom instruction, presentations, and demonstrations may be supplemented with elective participation in firearms training, firearms practice and riding with police officers on patrol.

The Academy is scheduled for ten weeks with ten 4 hour classes on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and some Saturdays. The Citizens Academy is designed to:

Enable citizens to make more informed judgments about the Police Department and its daily operations. Enable the Police Department to become aware of the feelings and concerns of the community, and Build a partnership between citizens and police personnel.

If you are interested in attending our next Citizens Police Academy Class, send an email with your contact information to: