Deputy Superintendent Mark LeBlanc, Superintendent Greg Hudon, and Capt. Marisol Nobrega stand with graduates of the Citizens’ Police Academy. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)

LOWELL — Superintendent Greg Hudon is pleased to report that the Lowell Police Department completed a Citizens’ Police Academy for the first time in six years, and that the department plans to offer another academy this September.

The eight-week academy was held each Wednesday night since April 10, with participants experiencing and learning about a range of police activities. It was the first time in six years that the Citizens’ Police Academy has been offered.

Attendees earned their certificates of graduation on Wednesday, May 29.

Topics included how police conduct investigations into impaired driving, handle citizen complaints, collect evidence during criminal investigations, and use body-worn cameras.

Units that presented to the academy include the Traffic Unit, School Resource Officers, the Drone Unit, the Professional Standards Division, the Neighborhood Response Unit, the Criminal Investigation Division, the Special Investigations Division, the Family Services Unit, K-9 officers and Lowell Police representatives from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) SWAT Team.

Organized and led by Capt. Marisol Nobrega and Lt. Ray Cormier, the academy sought to show residents how the Lowell Police Department operates in an effort to improve transparency and trust with community members.

“We hope this academy will enable us to be more transparent with community members and will help community members understand how we do things here at the Lowell Police Department,” said Superintendent Hudon. “We believe fully in transparency here, and I am pleased we could bring back our Citizens’ Police Academy this year.”

“This is how we get the community and the police department to build relationships and to build trust, and it’s really important to us that we continue to do that,” said Capt. Nobrega.

Attendees praised the academy and said they would definitely recommend it for other Lowell residents who have interest in or curiosity about law enforcement.

“The Academy was very interesting and every session we had was on interesting topics,” said Anna Martinez of Lowell. “Our instructors were all a wealth of information, and I think this is very good for the citizens of Lowell. I’d definitely recommend that other residents take this course.”

Olga Nieves Reynoso said she enjoyed learning much about the police department’s organization that she did not know before, and that she believes such academies should be offered on a regular basis.

“The Lowell Police Department works hand in hand with the community, and you don’t see that in a lot of cities,” said Nieves Reynoso.

The department plans to offer another Citizens’ Police Academy in September, but an exact schedule has not yet been set. Anyone who is interested should watch the department’s social media accounts for updates.