The members of the Matthews Police Department would like to thank you for visiting our Web site, and we welcome the opportunity to hear from you. We have developed this site in order to enhance the flow of information between our department and the community we serve. If you cannot locate the information you need, or would like to provide comments or feedback to members of our department, please use the
Contact Us section to let us know what's going on in your neighborhood, what more we can do to make our community safer, or how we can change this site in order to make it more helpful to you.
Citizen Police Academy
The Citizen Police Academy is an eight week program that is designed to build a stronger relationship between the community and the police department through education. It is open to residents and individuals who work in the town of Matthews. Information provided throughout the program is intended to help with misunderstandings about law enforcement and create an awareness of challenges and limitations often faced by police. The Citizen Police Academy is not designed to train attendees about how to be police officers. The intent is to create a hands-on interactive program that will assist with strengthening the partnership between the Matthews Police Department and the community it serves.
Participants will meet once a week on consecutive Thursday evenings beginning on March 18th and ending on May 6, 2010. The academy will be held at the Matthews Police Department located at 1201 Crews Rd. Classes begin at 6:00 PM and are scheduled to conclude at 8:00 PM. Attendees will also have the option to arrange a 4 hour ride-a-long with an on-duty patrol officer.
Eligibility requirements to attend:
- You must be 18 years of age or older
- Live or work within the Town of Matthews
- Must not have been convicted of, or have any pending charges for, any felony, or serious misdemeanor within the last 5 years
- Allow for criminal background check and personal references to be contacted
This program is offered at no cost to the participants. Applications are currently being accepted and are available by clicking
here or visiting the police department in person Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Space is limited and the deadline for accepting applications is Wednesday March 10
th at 5:00 PM. Applications must be personally delivered, mailed, or faxed using the contact information listed on right side of this screen.
Department Overview
The Matthews Police Department is staffed by approximately 80 full and part-time employees. Generally serving in one of four service divisions - Administration, Criminal Investigations, Patrol, and Support Services - our staff is committed to providing the highest level of service possible to our citizens. While our employees work shifts vary eight to 12 hours, many still volunteer to assist organizations like Safe Kids, SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), our Police Explorer' Post and the Lunch Buddies Program.
The shared Mission of our staff is simple, but critical - "The Matthews Police Department strives to promote a safe community by preventing crimes and reducing the fear of crime by our citizens, while treating all individuals fairly and with respect. Our members will demonstrate knowledge, courage and integrity while building partnerships necessary to enhance the safety of our community."
We recognize, however, that the members of our department alone cannot keep our community safe - this requires the support and assistance of all members of our community. Through Neighborhood Watch and Business Safety programs, our goal is to establish partnerships throughout our community. We challenge you to get involved! Get to know your neighbors; establish a Neighborhood Watch program, and seek out information about what is going on in your neighborhood and your community.
One great tool in that regard is a tremendous (and free) service available to anyone through this site
Citizen Observer. This service provides e-mail and/or text messaging alerts of crimes occurring, traffic hazards, and general safety information. It is simple to sign up - just click on the link and follow the instructions.
Hopefully the information you find within this site will prove helpful and informative to you. As you explore our site, please provide feedback to us through e-mail by clicking
here; your thoughts and your comments are important to us. We thank you for your interest in our Department, and look forward to serving you in the future.