Butler County Sheriff's Office

[Public Info Officer]

MEDIA RELEASE: SHERIFF’S CITIZEN ACADEMY
December 16, 2008

5th Session of the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy
The Butler County Sheriff’s Department will host a Citizen Academy on Tuesdays from 6:30PM to 9:30PM beginning February 3, 2009. The academy is a twelve-week program designed to provide a working knowledge and background of the Sheriff’s Department. It explains the various aspects of the Sheriff’s responsibilities using classroom discussions and hands-on participation. The instruction is comprehensive and exposes an overview of the talents, skills, diversity, and quality of your department. Specifically, the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy is designed to:
A. Instruct residents about the operation of the Sheriff’s Office – Awareness Training
B. Develop relationships through personal contacts between the citizens of Butler County and the
Deputies that serve them.
C. Provide a community and educational resource for citizens to learn more about their Sheriff’s
Department.
D. Prepare citizens to volunteer in their community and arm them with the knowledge about their
government to make informed decisions about their environment.

Some of the topics and activities Academy attendees participate in include:
Overview of the Sheriff’s Department – Divisions and Responsibilities
Relationships with other law enforcement agencies
The Judicial System
Patrol operations including a ride-along with a patrol deputy
Criminal Investigation/Evidence Collection
Domestic Violence / Child Abuse / Sex Offender Registration
Traffic Control, Enforcement and Investigation D.A.R.E. / T.R.I.A.D / School Resource Officer
Police Aviation / Police K-9 Teams
Use of Force/Firearms
SWAT
Butler County Corrections Systems
Instructors are chosen for their knowledge and experience in their particular areas of work. The Academy is not intended to train citizens to be officers but rather to inform them accurately about the profession and the roles that citizens can and should play in protecting their community in partnerships with deputies.

Requirements for attending a Citizen Police Academy include the following:
Resident of or employee working in Butler County.
Minimum of 18 years of age.
No pending criminal court actions or outstanding warrants.
Background check.
Commit to 12 consecutive Tuesdays evenings.
There is no cost to attend the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy and it will be limited to the first 24 qualified citizens who apply. The project is funded in part by a U.S. Department of Justice grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Apply for the next Citizen Police Academy by calling Lt. Jean Collett at 785-1007, ask your neighborhood DEPUTY for more information or by completing the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy Application on line at http://butlersheriff.org.