HARTSELLE– The Hartselle police department will offer a free citizen police academy beginning Feb. 2 to better introduce civilians to the police department.

Hartselle Police Chief Ron Puckett said this is the department’s 11^th year to offer the eight-week program.

“It is a free program that informs people about dispatch, D.U.I’s., investigations, and we also do a firearms training,” Puckett said. “With the firearms training course, participants get simulated video training where they will learn to shoot. It’s a good source of information for citizens to learn why we do what we do.”

The class will meet Thursday nights from 6-9 p.m. beginning February 2 at the SSD building located at 106 Cheryl Street in Hartselle.

For more information contact Captain Tom Sparks at the Hartselle Police Department at 256-751-4912, or visit www.hpssd.com.