SCPD Civilian Academy graduates 34 Suffolk County residents

The 34 civilians who finished Suffolk County Police Department’s academy will not become officers, but the department expects them to become something else in Suffolk neighborhoods: informed residents who can explain police procedures, strengthen trust and help carry safety concerns back into the community. Deputy Police Commissioner Belinda Alvarez-Groneman congratulated the graduates at the June 12 ceremony, marking another class in a program SCPD describes as an award-winning effort to bring police and residents closer together.

The Civilian Police Academy is built around hands-on exposure, not a desk-side lecture. The course runs 48 hours over 16 weekly sessions, usually in spring and fall, with most classes held at the Suffolk County Police Academy in Brentwood and some sessions at other police facilities. The curriculum covers use of force, K-9 operations, aviation, crime scene work, emergency services, domestic violence, homicide investigations and bias crimes. Participants can also go on ride-alongs, visit the Police Firearms Range and train on the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course.

SCPD says the program is open to adult Suffolk County residents age 21 or older who have a valid driver’s license and can pass a background check. There is no fee. The department gives preference to people already positioned to carry information back into their communities, including civic association leaders, neighborhood watch members, business groups, taxpayers associations, elected officials and school officials.

That structure matters because the academy is not just about learning what police do. It is about creating a civilian network that can extend the department’s reach into civic meetings, school conversations and block-level problem solving without adding sworn officers. Graduates often stay involved through the Suffolk County Civilians’ Police Academy Alumni Association, which holds regular meetings six times a year at the Brentwood police academy and takes part in Police Week activities, the Cops Who Care holiday food giveaway and the Suffolk County Youth Academy.

The department says the first official civilian class was held in 1993, giving the program more than three decades to shape how residents interact with police. The academy has also drawn people looking for answers after difficult encounters with law enforcement, including South Setauket resident Eddie McGee, who said he wanted a better understanding of police work. For Suffolk, the lasting value of the academy will not be the graduation photo, but whether these 34 residents become the local voices who help calm disputes, explain procedures and keep trust from fraying.