NEWARK -- Newark is accepting signups for its Citizen/Clergy Academy, an 8-week course that seeks to give students an inside look at police work and emergency services in the city.

The course, scheduled to begin Oct. 10 at 311 Washington Street, offers lessons on police training, emergency dispatch, police deployment decisions, firefighting, fire safety and how the city prepares for major emergencies.

"The Citizen/Clergy Academy is a great way to help community members understand how different facets of the Department of Public Safety operate," said Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. "The course will allow concerned citizens to become active partners in our efforts to eliminate crime while inviting them into the world of police officers, firefighters and emergency management personnel."

The academy's newest courses will focus on violence reduction, community health and wellbeing issues, an announcement said.

Anyone interested in attending can sign up by visiting www.newarkpd.org and clicking the "forms and reports" tab, or contacting the Public Safety Department's Community/Clergy Affairs Unit at 973-877-9552, 973-877-9550 or CommunityAffairs@ci.newark.nj.us.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips