NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- The idea behind North Miami Beach's Citizen's Police Academy is to take a group of ordinary citizen's, teach them everything they need to know about police work and turn them loose as community watch dogs.

"We need their help. They need our help and it's better if we understand each other,” said Tom Carney with the North Miami Beach Police Department. The 12-week course covers crime trends, investigations and the ins and outs of life as an officer.

One of the volunteers told Local 10's Sasha Andrade that she signed up because of the crime she has seen in her neighborhood.

"A lot of house robberies. There's been a rape in my neighborhood," she said.

One man said he was taking the course because he eventually wants to go through the real police academy.

"To tell you the truth, I used to always watch COPS, the TV show, and I got fascinated with it," he said.

Carney said the class will give citizens a look at reality in the police department and on the streets.

"Most people are exposed to what they see on TV and movies and they really think that's what reality is. In fact, it's not," he said.

The goal of the program is to unite the police department and the community it serves.