I went to this a couple of years ago and it’s an incredible experience. This one sounds even better than that one. I highly recommend it for anyone who writes about police and crime. But even if you’re not, it’s great. It’s like Disneyland for adults — with guns and police cars and a lot of adrenaline. Plus, it takes place at a real police academy with a lot of the instructors being cops and/or academy teachers. Another great thing is it’s not really expensive. The hotels in Greensboro are quite low in price and you are driven to and from the academy.

Here’s what Lee Lofland has to say about next year’s Academy:

The 2012 Writers’ Police Academy is featuring an advanced Interview and Interrogation workshop taught by a couple of experts who are the best in the business (details later). This workshop covers every detail about police interviews – what detectives can and cannot do and say, tricks of the trade, etc.

We have an on-site interview room, complete with audio and video equipment and the famous “mirrored wall.” WPA recruits participating in this workshop will be involved in role-play where you’ll actually interview a criminal suspect or two. Do you have what it takes to get the confession?

In addition to the interview role-playing we’ve also added a few other role-play workshops, such as one involving domestic violence where you’ll play the part of the responding officers (complete with fully-equipped gun belt). Yes, you’ll be responding to a very realistic scene with escalating…well, you’ll just have wait for more details…

Lots of new and exciting surprises to come!

Registration for this one-of-a-kind event opens soon. Remember, this is an extremely action-packed hands-on event.

And Lee Child is our 2012 keynote speaker.

Writer’s Police Academy

* WPA profits benefit the WPA’s host criminal justice foundation, with funds supplementing their very limited state-funded training budget. Our top experts donate their valuable time to train writers.