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- Quick Movie Snapshot (Because Context Makes the Cast Even Funnier)
- The Main Cast: Returning Police Academy Regulars
- Steve Guttenberg as Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Bubba Smith as Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Michael Winslow as Sgt. Larvell Jones
- David Graf as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Leslie Easterbrook as Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Marion Ramsey as Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Tim Kazurinsky as Officer Carl Sweetchuck
- Bobcat Goldthwait as Officer Zed McGlunk
- George Gaynes as Commandant Eric Lassard
- G.W. Bailey as Captain Thaddeus Harris
- Lance Kinsey as Lieutenant Carl Proctor
- New Faces and Key Additions: The C.O.P. Crew and Other Standouts
- Notable Cameos, Fun Credit Nuggets, and “Wait, Is That…?” Trivia
- How the Cast Shapes the Movie’s Comedy (A Quick, Helpful Breakdown)
- Full Cast List (Reader-Friendly Highlights)
- Why This Cast List Still Gets Searched Today
- Viewer Experiences and “Cast List Moments” (Extra )
- Conclusion
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987) is the franchise entry that basically asks,
“What if the police academy… but also the neighborhood watch?” The premise is simple: crime is up,
manpower is down, and Commandant Lassard rolls out a civilian volunteer programC.O.P.to put regular
people on the streets alongside officers (which sounds like a public-safety initiative until you remember
this is a Police Academy movie, so the real mission is: maximum chaos, minimum paperwork).
If you’re here for the Police Academy 4 cast list, you’re in the right place. Below you’ll find
a clean, reader-friendly breakdown of the actors and actresses, how their characters fit into the
story, and why this particular lineup is a surprisingly fun time capsuleespecially when you spot
early-career faces that would later become very famous.
Quick Movie Snapshot (Because Context Makes the Cast Even Funnier)
- Title: Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
- Release: Early April 1987 (wide U.S. release)
- Director: Jim Drake
- MPAA Rating: PG
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- Studio/Distributor: Warner Bros.
- Big franchise note: This is the last Police Academy film starring Steve Guttenberg as Mahoney.
Footnote sources for the facts above: [1][5][6][7][8]
The Main Cast: Returning Police Academy Regulars
The easiest way to think about the franchise’s core group is as a comedy “toolbox.” Each character
brings a specialtysound effects, fearless intensity, deadpan one-liners, romantic swagger, or
“human bulldozer energy”and Citizens on Patrol uses that toolbox to train civilians… and
to survive Captain Harris’s attempts to sabotage the whole idea.
Steve Guttenberg as Sgt. Carey Mahoney
Mahoney is the charming rebel with just enough heart to keep the movie from becoming pure prank footage.
In this installment, he’s tasked with training the C.O.P. volunteers, and he takes it about as seriously as a
cat takes a bathuntil Harris threatens the program (and Lassard’s job), at which point Mahoney locks in.
Bubba Smith as Sgt. Moses Hightower
Hightower remains the franchise’s gentle giant: calm, principled, and physically intimidating enough to
solve problems by standing near them. In this film, his connection to one of the volunteers (“House”) gives
him extra comedic mileageequal parts protector, babysitter, and “please don’t make me chase you.”
Michael Winslow as Sgt. Larvell Jones
Jones is the human soundboard of the series, delivering effects that function like slapstick punctuation.
Whether it’s engines, sirens, or random sonic chaos, he’s a one-man foley studioand the movie leans on that
“how is he doing that?” magic to keep scenes bouncing.
David Graf as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
If you’ve ever met someone who treats a Nerf gun like it’s classified military hardware, you already understand
Tackleberry. He’s the hyper-militarized, weapons-obsessed officer whose intensity is the jokeand whose sincerity
somehow makes the joke work. Citizens on Patrol also gives him memorable interplay with the volunteers.
Leslie Easterbrook as Lt. Debbie Callahan
Callahan is confident, capable, and always a half-step away from rolling her eyes at the men around her.
She adds polish and authority to a film full of goofy behaviorand helps keep the training sequences from
feeling like a circus with badges (even though… it’s definitely a circus with badges).
Marion Ramsey as Sgt. Laverne Hooks
Hooks balances softness with surprise toughnessoften delivering a quiet line that lands like a punchline.
Her presence is part of the franchise’s “found family” vibe: these characters bicker, prank, and stumble,
but they function as a unit when it counts.
Tim Kazurinsky as Officer Carl Sweetchuck
Sweetchuck is nervous energy in uniform. He’s the guy who looks like he’s perpetually one unexpected loud
noise away from spilling a coffee he isn’t holding. The movie uses him as a comic stress test for action beats:
the more intense the situation, the funnier his panic becomes.
Bobcat Goldthwait as Officer Zed McGlunk
Zed is the lovable “former problem child” turned police trainee, still vibrating with unpredictable weirdness.
In Citizens on Patrol, he gets extra spotlight, including a romance subplot that plays like
“gremlin discovers feelings.” It’s oddly sweetbetween the screaming.
George Gaynes as Commandant Eric Lassard
Lassard is the franchise’s well-meaning engine: he sincerely believes in people, even when people are doing
things that should not be done by people. His C.O.P. program idea is optimistic to the point of absurdity,
which is basically the Police Academy brand promise.
G.W. Bailey as Captain Thaddeus Harris
Harris returns as the high-strung antagonist determined to prove the program is a disaster. In practical terms,
he exists to be pranked, outmaneuvered, and publicly embarrassedoften while yelling and looking like his blood
pressure is filing a complaint.
Lance Kinsey as Lieutenant Carl Proctor
Proctor is Harris’s loyal (and frequently clueless) sidekick. If Harris is the schemer, Proctor is the guy who
follows the scheme… and trips over it… and somehow makes it worse. Their dynamic is classic comedy villainy:
anger plus incompetence equals fireworks.
Footnote sources for the main returning cast: [1][2][3][4]
New Faces and Key Additions: The C.O.P. Crew and Other Standouts
The “Citizens on Patrol” concept introduces new characters who function as a rotating set of comic obstacles,
underdogs, and unexpected heroes. They’re the “everyday people” version of the original misfit cadetsexcept now
they’re older, weirder, and occasionally on skateboards.
Sharon Stone as Claire Mattson
Before she became a major Hollywood star, Sharon Stone appears here as Claire Mattson, a journalist following the
C.O.P. program. In a franchise that loves broad comedy, her role adds a little “straight” energysomeone reacting
to the madness like a real human might. It’s also one of those fun retro watches where you go,
“Wait… that’s Sharon Stone?”
Derek McGrath as Milt Butterworth
Butterworth is the attorney tied to the volunteer groupan uptight presence in a story that treats rules as
optional suggestions. He’s useful because he speaks “official,” which makes the whole C.O.P. program feel
almost legitimate… until a scene happens and you remember what movie you’re watching.
Billie Bird as Mrs. Lois Feldman
Mrs. Feldman is the kind of character who shows up and instantly becomes a fan-favorite: fearless, unapologetic,
and weirdly perfect for a movie that thinks “senior citizen with a firearm” is a punchline (and then commits to it).
She’s also a clever mirror to Tackleberryanother person who treats police gear like it’s the most exciting thing
in the world.
Tab Thacker as Tommy “House” Conklin
“House” is the big-hearted powerhouse volunteer with a personal history linked to Hightower. He’s an ideal C.O.P.
recruit in the movie’s logic: strong enough to help, friendly enough to root for, and earnest enough to be
thrown into comic situations without seeming mean-spirited.
David Spade as Kyle Rumford (Feature Film Debut)
A young David Spade shows up as Kyle, a skateboarding delinquent who ends up in the C.O.P. program. This is one of
those “spot the future celebrity” casting moments that makes the movie a fun watch todayeven if you’re just
popping in for the cast list.
Brian Backer as Arnie Lewis
Arnie is Kyle’s partner-in-trouble, another reluctant participant who gets dragged into doing something positive
the hard way. Their dynamic is classic: they act too cool for training, then learn (painfully) why training exists.
Corinne Bohrer as Laura
Laura is a photographer/reporter character connected to Zed’s subplot. She helps humanize him (yes, really) and
gives the film a softer lane amid the slapstick.
Scott Thomson as Sgt. Chad Copeland
Fans of earlier entries will recognize the Copeland name; here, he appears connected to the C.O.P. program and
training environment, reinforcing that the franchise loves bringing back familiar faces and archetypes.
Footnote sources for these cast additions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Notable Cameos, Fun Credit Nuggets, and “Wait, Is That…?” Trivia
One reason people search for the Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol cast years later is the film’s
weirdly rich “credit trivia” layer. Beyond Spade’s early appearance, Citizens on Patrol is associated with
professional skateboarders handling stunt workan era-specific detail that screams “1987” louder than a neon windbreaker.
Skateboarding stunt talent (including a famous name)
The American Film Institute’s catalog notes that multiple pro skateboarders handled stunts and were spotlighted in the
credits. That list includes Tony Hawk among other recognizable skate prosexactly the kind of thing that sends modern
viewers straight to a cast-and-credits page to confirm they didn’t imagine it.
Footnote sources for the skateboarding/stunt-credit angle: [5][11]
How the Cast Shapes the Movie’s Comedy (A Quick, Helpful Breakdown)
Cast lists aren’t just namesthey’re a map of the movie’s comedic structure. Citizens on Patrol works because
it stacks character types that bounce off each other:
- The charmer: Mahoney (Guttenberg) keeps scenes playful and audience-friendly.
- The powerhouse: Hightower (Smith) brings warmth and “don’t mess with him” stability.
- The sound magician: Jones (Winslow) adds instant comedic texture on demand.
- The intensity machine: Tackleberry (Graf) turns overreaction into an art form.
- The anxious counterweight: Sweetchuck (Kazurinsky) makes action beats funnier through panic.
- The lovable wildcard: Zed (Goldthwait) injects unpredictability and odd sweetness.
- The authority duo: Lassard (Gaynes) believes in people; Harris/Proctor (Bailey/Kinsey) do not.
- The civilian “mirror” cast: Feldman, House, Kyle, Arnie, and Butterworth reflect the academy crew in a new way.
Critics at the time were not shy about pointing out that the franchise formula was doing formula things, and some reviews
framed the humor as deliberately broad and youth-leaning. But that’s also why the cast matters: these performers are the
reason the formula still lands for many viewers, even when the plot is basically a delivery system for gags.
Footnote sources for cast/critical context: [9][10][12]
Full Cast List (Reader-Friendly Highlights)
Below is a practical “who’s who” list featuring the most-recognized credits people look for when searching
Police Academy 4 cast list. (If you’re doing deep-dive research, full-credit pages will include
additional supporting roles and uncredited appearances.)
Police Academy / Police Department Regulars
- Steve Guttenberg Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Bubba Smith Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Michael Winslow Sgt. Larvell Jones
- David Graf Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Tim Kazurinsky Officer Carl Sweetchuck
- Leslie Easterbrook Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Marion Ramsey Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Bobcat Goldthwait Officer Zed McGlunk
- George Gaynes Commandant Eric Lassard
- G.W. Bailey Captain Thaddeus Harris
- Lance Kinsey Lieutenant Carl Proctor
C.O.P. Program Volunteers and Key Supporting Characters
- Sharon Stone Claire Mattson
- Billie Bird Mrs. Lois Feldman
- Tab Thacker Tommy “House” Conklin
- Derek McGrath Milt Butterworth
- David Spade Kyle Rumford
- Brian Backer Arnie Lewis
- Corinne Bohrer Laura
- Scott Thomson Sgt. Chad Copeland
Footnote sources for the highlight cast list above: [1][2][3][4]
Why This Cast List Still Gets Searched Today
A movie doesn’t have to be a critical darling to be culturally sticky. Police Academy 4 is remembered because:
- It’s a franchise comfort-watch for a lot of peoplebig gags, familiar faces, easy pacing.
- It marks a key franchise transition point (notably Guttenberg’s final entry).
- It’s packed with “early career” curiosity, especially Sharon Stone and David Spade.
- It has those era-specific touches (like skateboarding stunt culture) that feel like pop history.
Financially, the film performed like a sequel machine doing sequel machine thingsstrong enough to keep the series rolling,
even as critics were increasingly unimpressed. If you’re writing, researching, or just settling an argument with a friend,
box office records and major film databases make it easy to confirm the basics.
Footnote sources for release/box office framing: [5][6][8]
Viewer Experiences and “Cast List Moments” (Extra )
When people talk about their experiences with Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, the conversation often starts
the same way: “I saw it on TV,” “My older sibling loved these,” or “We did a franchise marathon and this one surprised me.”
That’s because the film is built for casual viewing. You don’t need to memorize the plot; you just need to recognize the
faces and settle in for character-based comedy.
One of the most common “cast list experiences” is the recognition jolt. A viewer watches a scene and suddenly
thinks, “Hold onwas that Sharon Stone?” That moment sends you to a cast list instantly, not because you don’t trust your eyes,
but because it feels like discovering a hidden trading card in a box you’ve owned for years. It’s the same with David Spade:
if you know him from his later comedy career, seeing him pop up as a skate kid in a ‘80s sequel creates this fun mental time warp.
You’re watching a franchise entry that’s all about familiar routines, and suddenly it doubles as an unplanned “before they were
famous” showcase.
Another experience people describe is how the returning ensemble can feel like a reunion of comedic comfort characters.
Even if you haven’t seen the earlier films recently, the cast is so strongly typedMahoney the charismatic instigator, Hightower the
gentle giant, Jones the sound-effects wizard, Tackleberry the intensity tornadothat it’s easy to “re-learn” who everyone is in minutes.
That’s a big reason cast lists remain popular: these movies are less about plot twists and more about the performers delivering
the exact flavor of comedy you came for.
Franchise marathons add another layer of appreciation. Watching the movies back-to-back makes you notice how the series evolves:
the comedic “engine” shifts, certain characters get more spotlight, and the tone leans broader as the sequels stack up. In that context,
Citizens on Patrol becomes a fascinating checkpoint: it keeps the core group intact while adding civilians as a mirror version
of the original misfits. Many fans say the volunteer charactersespecially the fearless Mrs. Feldman and the big-hearted “House”are
the kind of additions that can refresh a familiar formula without replacing it.
And then there’s the purely social experience: quoting and pointing. This is the kind of movie where people watch together,
pause to identify a face, argue about where they’ve seen an actor before, and end up down a rabbit hole of credits. That’s exactly why a
clean cast list matters. It turns “Wait, who is that?” into an instant answer, and it transforms a goofy movie night into a tiny pop-culture
research partysnacks, laughter, and a surprisingly serious debate about whether Tackleberry’s intensity is funnier in training scenes or in
chaotic finales.
In other words: the lasting experience of Police Academy 4 isn’t just the jokesit’s the way the cast makes the film easy to revisit,
easy to share, and easy to talk about long after you’ve forgotten the finer points of the C.O.P. program. The characters are the memory.
The cast list is the map back to it.
Conclusion
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol lives or dies by its peopleand fortunately, it has a lineup that’s built for comfort viewing:
a familiar ensemble, an easy-to-grasp premise, and just enough “future star” energy to keep modern viewers curious.
Whether you came here to confirm a role, build a trivia page, or simply settle a “wait, was that…?” argument, this cast list covers the
names that matter mostand gives you the character context that makes those names memorable.
