The purpose of the Academy is to provide San Leandro citizens with a basic understanding of how the San Leandro Police Department works and its role in making San Leandro safer. During the Academy, personnel from throughout the Department cover topics that include basic law enforcement as well as background on the Department's specialized units such as SWAT, Traffic, Crime Prevention and others. Each session provides hands-on activities, along with classroom instruction. The Academy includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the Department as well as a police patrol ride-along. This is scheduled individually with each student outside of class time.