MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Police Department is hosting their 15th annual Citizens' Police Academy. The academy is designed for an inside look at the law and the people who wear the uniforms.

"I think it's good to have people in the community kind of get involved with the police department and also kind of learn about why we do things the certain way we do things," said police officer, Kelly Blask. "It educates the public a little bit so I think its really beneficial"

The academy is nine weeks long and meets once a week to go over different aspects of the Meridian Township Police Department. Some of the weeks consist of a tour of the police building, the canine unit, or criminal investigations. Dawn Sawallich talks about the last week of the academy.

"The last class will consist of our hiring process, how a recruit, what the training a recruit would go through," said Sawallich. "It's above and beyond what they get in the police academy and what we expect them as Meridian Township officers to perform and what the community expects of them."

One of the classes involves a shooting simulator that will teach the participants when to use force. They will also learn arrest procedures. Another session has members of the department like Andrew McCready and Greg Harris come talk about their responsibilities on the police force. The academy is open to residents and it is free for those who would like to participate.