Hamtramck Police Department seeks applicants for first Citizen Academy
Nargis Rahman January 16, 2025The 21-hour comprehensive course aims to give the public a working knowledge of the police department’s personnel and policies.

The Hamtramck Police Department is rolling out a new Citizens Police Academy — a new course for Hamtramck leaders to learn the ins and outs of the department.
Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri says the 21-hour comprehensive course will give the public a working knowledge of the police department’s personnel and policies.
“I really think it’s going to really be a bridge between us and the community because the people attending the Citizens Academy are leaders within the community. That’s who we’re targeting: it’s the doctors, architects, laborers, also activists, religious leaders,” he said.
Altaheri says the course consists of a series of classes held once each week for three hours. People will be provided with coursework, tours, and hands-on demonstrations.
Topics include evidence collection, digital forensics, and patrol. The department hopes to provide tours and ride-alongs as well.
Altaheri says it’s an effort to build bridges between the department and the public.
“We’re going to create a group, Hamtramck police citizens group, and create events every year where we bring all the different graduates from various years together, and we hope that they could be liaisons and be ambassadors for the police department, but also for their own community,” he said.
Altaheri says he hopes youth will also take part in the academy.
“We also want to make sure we get all groups of people from different walks of life. So we’re reaching out to the African American community, the Bangladeshi community, the Yemeni community, so we want to make sure we get a diverse group of people,” he said. “I think it’s good too, because they also get to know one another.”
People who live and work in Hamtramck are encouraged to apply.
Altaheri says he hopes the course also dispels misconceptions about the police department while creating transparency.
Classes will be held from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, starting Jan. 29 through March 19. Those interested in participating can register at hamtramckcity.gov or by visiting the department’s Facebook page.
Applications can also be picked up at the front desk of the Hamtramck Police Department, located inside Hamtramck City Hall.
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Author
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Nargis Hakim Rahman is the Civic Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Rahman graduated from Wayne State University, where she was a part of the Journalism Institute of Media Diversity.