The Community Engagement Services offer program and opportunities for youth and young adults to become involved in the well-being and growth of their communities.
REACH OUT (Respect Engage Accountability Character Honesty Officers Understanding Teens)
The Reach Out Program is a partnership between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office, and our supporting agencies. This voluntary program is designed to give participating youthful offenders the resources, skills, and support necessary to become successful adults. Participants are referred to the Reach Out Program by the courts, CMPD, and the District Attorney’s Office. Successful completion of the program involves:
- Completion of 50 to 100hrs during group discussion on topics related to skill development, decision making, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and mental health.
- Restitution payments to victims of crime.
- Job placement opportunities for participants.
- Attending virtual and in-person group meetings.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementuplift@cmpd.org]
REACH (Respect Engage Accountability Character Honesty) Enrichment Program (Boys/Girls)
REACH Enrichment program is a gender-specific program that builds positive relationships between participants and officers and promotes personal and social responsibility through leadership opportunities, educational seminars and field trips, and career and vocation development classes. Upon graduation, youth may participate in monthly “booster sessions” designed to nurture the education and relationships developed during interactions. High performing REACH students are invited to attend the (6) week REACH Summer Academy which seeks to expose inner city youth to countless educational and explorational opportunities all within the city they call home.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementuplift@cmpd.org]
IMPACT (Introducing Meaningful Possibilities & Changing Trajectories)
IMPACT is an in-school mentoring program for middle and high school students across CMS. The program seeks to create a safe social-emotional space for youth to discuss the challenges they’re dealing with in their lives. The intention is to empower youth to make good decisions, express their emotions, discuss personal challenges, and career exploration. The facilitator (non-sworn) is usually accompanied by a CMPD officer who provides a law enforcement perspective to the engagement. IMPACT has forged strong partnerships with several local schools and has become a great outlet for teens. Cops Care (Know Your Rights) Presentation.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementuplift@cmpd.org]
Envision Academy
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD), Chief Kerr Putney, envisioned a program for youth that would introduce them to the many faces and facets that make-up Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The program exposes participants to the many career possibilities and opportunities in our community while at the same time engaging them with police officers who serve as their mentors. The Envision Academy is supported by generous community supporters which provides participants with a generous scholarship. Participants experience hours of interaction with officers while increasing their community knowledge, exploring issues which affect the community, and creating a platform to envision a better future for themselves and Charlotte.
COPS Citizens Accountability Rights & Education (CARE)
COPS Care is designed to target middle school-aged students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) with the same message: making positive choices for positive outcomes. During the 1-hour Cops CARE workshop, students engage with a sworn Gang Prevention Specialist and a School Resource Officer (SRO). The Specialist talks with students about the negative realities of the gang lifestyle and positive alternatives through such activities as academic, sports, social, civic, or service clubs, summer camps and internships. The SRO uses “CARE cards” (Citizen Accountability Rights & Education) to frame their discussion: what to do if stopped by the police for questioning, during a traffic stop, and if an officer comes to their home. The workshop concludes with information about local programs and activities for youth.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementuplift@cmpd.org]
Latino Community Outreach
Support and assist with any needs the Latino community is experiencing.
- Educate the community about their rights
- Inform and include the Latino kids in the different programs that are offered in our department (clubs, academies, summer camps, sport activities)
- Work together with other institutions and groups to combine efforts and provide a better support for the Latino community (workshops, meetings, festivals)
- Assist with the recruitment of more Hispanic citizens to join the agency both sworn and non-sworn to ensure inclusion and cultural diversity.
- Assistance with various criminal cases that pertain to the Latino community.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]
College Cadets
CMPD provides qualified students who are actively enrolled in a local college, an opportunity to work in a professional, law enforcement environment, while learning about and training for future employment as police officer. Fifteen cadets work 28 hours a week for $16.00 an hour. Current enrolled college students, taking a minimum of 12 semester hours while maintaining a minimum 2.0 ("C") average.
Fill out the
CMPD College Cadet application.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]
High School/Middle School/Latino Summer Academies
A one-week, hands-on course for young people who are interested in a career in law enforcement or students who would like to find out more about the CMPD. These opportunities are offered to interested students within each category for a minimum of 20hrs each week during the summer.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]
High School/Middle School Explorers Club
Exploring is a worksite-based program in which young adults learn about particular careers in which they have an interest. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department sponsors two Exploring Posts that provide teens with the opportunities to learn about the law enforcement profession and make informed decisions about possible future careers.
The requirements for eligibility for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Explorers are as follows:
- Must be 14-20 years of age (Must have completed 8th grade).
- New Explorers entering the program for the first time cannot be no older than 18 years old at the time of their first meeting.
- Must have no serious criminal history.
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA in school.
- Obtain a recommendation from your School Resource Officer (Have a good school record with attendance and behavior).
- Receive parental or legal guardian approval.
- Complete a three-meeting probationary period before full membership is granted.
- Complete and submit all of the application documents.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]
CMPD High School Drone Explorers Program
The CMPD Drone Explorers Program is a partnership with Drone Scape that will introduce students to the world of drones and aviation. Students will learn about several general topics related to careers, technology, history, aviation law and regulations, airspace, meteorology, pre- and post-flight operation, piloting skill and safety. Students will learn and practice their skills with programming and flying EDU Tello Drones in an indoor and outdoor space through different obstacle courses.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]
CMPD Middle School Robotics Explorers Club
The CMPD Middle School Robotics Explorers Program has partner with Queen City Robotics Alliance and FIRST Tech Challenge to create a program that will foster a future pathway and direction for middle school students in different STEM careers. The students are challenged to design, build, program, and operate a robot to compete in different competition at regional, state, and national levels. Students will develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and teamwork.
For further information or questions please contact us at:
Community Engagement Outreach [
communityengagementoutreach@cmpd.org]