Calling all would-be crime fighters: The city police department will kick off a citizen’s police academy in April, and anyone 18 or older is welcome to sign up.

But don’t expect to be out busting bad guys like Batman by the end of the six-week course. It’s mostly an informational program, designed to allow city residents a candid look at the everyday lives of their local officers.

“We will give people our perspective of how we do our job, so they will be a little more understanding,” said city Police Chief Jon Welch. “There are so many myths and rumors about the police department and policing in general.”

The academy will meet every Thursday for six weeks at police headquarters on Ontario Street, starting April 1. There is no cost to attend — but, the department urges, “a substantial time commitment is required from the student.”

Most of the academy will be “instructional,” says Welch, and in addition to the lectures, many of the classes will take to the streets for “some hands-on stuff to help get a perspective of what the officer sees.”

For example, students will take part in a simulated traffic stop. An officer will pose as the driver, and the student will approach the vehicle. Welch assures “they will be a little nervous” walking up to a car in the dark with a flashlight, and that’s partly the point — to get them to “appreciate what we do and why we do it.”

“We will show them videos about what cadets see in the academy, about all that can go wrong at a traffic stop,” said Welch. “It gives them a real-life experience, so when they see an officer walking up with a gun, they know why that is.”

Lectures will cover such topics as laws of arrest, traffic enforcement, criminal investigation, courtroom testimony and how to form a neighborhood watch.

“There is a huge misconception of what the police do and how fair they are,” said Ward 2 Councilman Val Fenti, “and I know chief Welch wants to project the perception that they are very fair in how they carry out their duties.”