RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Fifteen members of the Richmond Police Department's 29th Hispanic Citizens Academy were honored with a graduation ceremony Thursday night. Richmond officer Henry Gonzalez said the program is catered to this specific community due to the increase in Richmond's Hispanic population. “It's an opportunity ... for the police department to open their doors and welcome the community in and allow them to see the inner workings of the police department [and] the resources that we have for our community," Gonzalez said. Through the course of the seven-week program, graduates learned topics such as robbery prevention, managing police encounters, first aid tips and mental health awareness, among others. "They're learning about their civil rights, [in which] all of that is going to empower them to push further in the future of their life and spread that to their family [and] friends," said Jasmine Perez, the Richmond Police Department's Hispanic Liason. Richmond Police Department 29th Hispanic Citizens Academy graduation on Nov. 22. (Photo: Jakobi Davis/8News)Richmond Police Department 29th Hispanic Citizens Academy graduation on Nov. 22. (Photo: Jakobi Davis/8News)Richmond Police Department 29th Hispanic Citizens Academy graduation on Nov. 22. (Photo: Jakobi Davis/8News) There is also an emphasis on inclusivity Officer Gonzalez added when teaching folks in the program as he says there is diversity within the Hispanic community as well. "We have to make sure that we are diverse in understanding the different cultures and [that we are] sensitive about the different cultures and how to reach them," Gonzalez said. "The police department has also diversified their recruitment for Hispanic police officers." Graduates told 8News they feel happy to know have this plethora of information. “The preparation and learning has served us in being able to confront day-to-day situations," said graduate Juan Carlos Rivera Cordova. Richmond Police Department 29th Hispanic Citizens Academy graduation on Nov. 22. (Photo: Jakobi Davis/8News) "Mainly, for the issue of safety and, more than anything, to know the rights that we have -- that every person has as citizens of Richmond," said Sylvin Durte, the husband of graduate Evelin Marroquen. Marroquen -- who has only been living in the Richmond area for three months after moving here from Guatemala -- explained that, along with her greater knowledge of the city, she now has a greater trust for the city's law enforcement. "[I feel] a greater trust, greater safety," Marroquen said. “I don’t think twice about getting in contact with them about information of whatever may happen.” According to police, the department has had roughly 200 graduates from the Hispanic Citizens Academy in the last 10 years.