Topeka Citizens' Academy Ambassadors

Citizens' Academy Ambassadors (CAA)

The Topeka Police Department’s Citizens’ Academy Ambassadors is comprised of concerned citizens who are dedicated to community involvement and to making Topeka a better, safer place to live.

Membership is made up entirely of graduates of the Citizens’ Police Academies, which are offered twice each year by the Topeka Police Department.

The purpose of CAA is to support law enforcement in Topeka through education, information, networking, community service and volunteerism.

The primary goal of  CAA is to create a growing nucleus of responsible, well informed citizens, who have the potential of influencing public opinion and perception of the police department’s practices and services.

Crime prevention and community safety are two important focal points of the Topeka Police Department’s Citizens' Academy Ambassadors. CAA works in partnership with the Topeka Police Department to create a positive presence in the community.

CAA members may also continue their training and education that began with the Citizens’ Police Academy. The association offers opportunities to attend various law enforcement-sponsored training events and workshops, and receive valuable policing information from various guest speakers at association meetings.

CAA members also are recruiters for upcoming Citizens’ Police Academies and perform hosting and support duties for the academy classes.

The many activities of the Ambassadors include sponsoring community awareness events on behalf of the Topeka Police Department; developing publications with departmental and community policing information as well as highlighting Topeka Police Department officers and association members; acquiring departmental equipment and resources; and hosting charitable events to support community programs.

Ultimately, the Ambassadors gain an appreciation of the problems and challenges facing law enforcement and have an opportunity to offer comments, ideas and actions regarding solutions, because effective crime control is a team effort!

The Citizens' Academy Ambassadors is governed by a Board of Directors. Officers and directors for 2010 are as follows:
   *President - Eric Tolbert
   *Vice President - Howard Blackmon Sr
   *Secretary - Verlee Sanneman
   *Treasurer - Brenda Holliday
   *Immediate Past President - Harriet Lange
   *Directors -
     Rhonda Cathey
     Kathleen Davis
     Roger Elsbury
     Shirley Jacvobson
     Mimi Leonard
     Angela Wilson
   *Topeka Police Department Liason and CAA Coordinator - Ben Clay

An application form to become a member of the Citizens’ Academy Ambassadors may be picked up at the Topeka Police Department’s Volunteer Coordinator’s office or downloaded and mailed to:

Topeka Police Department
Attn: Volunteer Coordinator
320 S. Kansas Ave., Ste. 100
Topeka, KS 66603
(785) 368-9237

For more information about the Citizens' Academy Ambassadors contact Ben Clay at (785) 368-9237 or email bclay@topeka.org.

Download Citizens Academy Ambassadors Member Application

CAA Code of Conduct

CAA Bylaws