HAZLETON, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police say the Troop N Community Services Unit will be hosting a free Citizen’s Police Academy at the Penn State Hazleton campus.

State police say the program will expand citizen’s knowledge and understanding of the law and explore police procedure from the perspective of the Pennsylvania State Police.

The Citizen’s Police Academy involves approximately 20 hours of instruction taught in two-hour segments, state police say. The program is scheduled to begin Oct. 10 and end Dec. 12.

Participants meet each Tuesday night for nine weeks from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., state police said.

State police say students must attend 75 percent or more of the scheduled classes to be eligible to graduate and receive a certificate. Class size is limited to 30 community participants to allow greater interaction between students and instructors, according to state police.

Participants are selected from interested applicants. Applicants must be 18 years of age to apply and be a resident of Troop N’s coverage area, which consists of Lower Luzerne County, Columbia County, Carbon County, and Monroe County.

The Pennsylvania State Police will also conduct a brief background investigation on interested applicants. People can request an application to be mailed or an electronic application can be e-mailed.

People can contact Trooper Anthony Petroski for an application – 570-459-3900, ext: 216 or anpetroski@pa.gov. The deadline for application submission will be Oct. 3.