Video Transcript

Leslie McLane: Citizens Academy is one of the great outreach programs that the FBI has. It gives us a chance to open our doors to community leaders and share what we're doing to keep them safe. We talk about everything from counterterrorism to white collar crime in our eight-week program. Here we have Jermain, one of our recent Citizens Academy graduates, to talk to you about his experience and things that he learned along the way.

So, what did you know about the FBI before coming to Citizens Academy? 

Jermain: The feeling that I had was, you know, they're untouchable.They don’t really speak to local people. And coming to the Citizens Academy, that definitely changed my perception. 

McLane: What was the most interesting experience that you had with Citizens Academy? 

Jermain: I would say it was all-encompassing. So, from the fingerprint to the bomb tech experience ... the shooting range was also amazing. 

McLane: Why is it important that the community connects with the FBI? 

Jermain: It's about impact. The community's involvement with the FBI connected with the FBI will have a positive impact for generations to come. 

cLane: So, the FBI is committed through its outreach program and everything we do in the public to increase our transparency to break down some of those historic borders and talk to you about what it is we're doing in your communities. So, we hope that you'll take advantage of this opportunity to join our Citizens Academy program. Hit apply and hopefully we'll see you this spring.