Citizen police academies or CPAs are becoming increasingly popular across the United States. CPAs are intended to improve police-community relations by giving citizens a better understanding of law enforcement. The model followed by most CPAs was established by the Orlando Police Department. Topics covered include officer training and selection, criminal law, investigative techniques, traffic enforcement, defensive tactics, community policing, and ride-alongs. This paper describes the class content of CPAs and the preference for communicative problem solving over physical force. Viewing police work as violent can lead people to become more fearful of crime, skeptical of police, and less willing to become involved with their communities. However, when policing was represented as more of a communicative endeavor, the participants seemed to develop a greater respect for law enforcement. CPAs are valuable because they transform the interest in violence into a dialogue about the ideal role of law enforcement. References