SUBMITTED REPORT
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy is now accepting applications for the Fall 2012 class which will start Aug. 23.
The primary objective of the academy is to build a better understanding between citizens and the sheriff’s office through education. The academy is also meant to increase public awareness, dispel suspicions and misconceptions, and increase the rapport between the sheriff’s office and the community. At the same time, the sheriff’s office becomes aware of the feelings and concerns of the community from the participants’ interaction and input. The instructors of this academy are the supervisors, deputies and correction officers who work in the areas being taught, and their instructions will give participants insight into the day-to-day operations of the sheriff’s office. In return, class instructors receive direct feedback from the class participants on the effects the sheriff’s office has on their lives.
Classes are from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays. On occasion, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy will have joint classes with the San Marcos Police Department’s Citizens Academy. Some activities will take place on a Saturday (tactical police driving and firearms). Students will have the opportunity to see demonstrations by the Hays County SWAT Team, Crisis Negotiations Team, Narcotics Task Force, K-9 units, tours of the Hays County Law Enforcement Center and Corrections Complex, Communications Center and Government Center. Students will also have the opportunity to ride along with a deputy as an observer during a regular shift.
Participants must fill out an application and consent to a background check. Those persons with felony convictions, or who are currently on probation, and anyone who has been convicted for any offense involving moral turpitude, are not eligible. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and either reside or work in Hays County.
Completion of the academy can also lead to other opportunities for service through the sheriff’s office, including Community Emergency Response Team, Volunteers In Policing Service, Victims Assistance and Junior Deputy Academy. Class size is limited to 24 and applications can be picked up at the Hays County Sheriff’s Office or downloaded from the sheriff’s office website at: http://www.co.hays.tx.us/index.php/download_file/view/2295/348/.
Contact the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach Division at 393-7373 or email [email protected] for more information.
