OC Sheriff’s Office still taking applications for Citizens Police Academy

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office third Citizens Police Academy is now less than two months away and applications are still being accepted for the program that gives citizens a chance to experience what a day in the life of a police officer is like. As of July 6, Sgt. Mike McGowan, who is the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office coordinator for the Citizens Police Academy, has received 21 applications but more applications are welcomed. Citizens of Oconee County can sign up for the classes at www.oconeelaw.com by clicking on the “Citizens Police Academy” link near the upper right portion of the website. Applications will need to be printed off and mailed to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office at 415 South Pine Street, Walhalla, SC 29691. Those who are selected will have a chance to meet the Command Staff and many of the deputies of the Sheriff’s Office. Some of the topics covered will be patrol operations, equipment and its uses, criminal investigations, E-911 communications, SWAT team operations, plus a judicial overview by one of the local judges, information on detention and narcotics. On a Saturday during the classes, instructees will observe a SWAT team demonstration. At the conclusion of the classes, those who participate will be given a shirt, a certificate and a class photo. There is a selection process for those who sign up, which includes a background check, according to Sgt. McGowan. He is hoping to reach demographics from every walk of life in Oconee County, with the class size limited to 25 due to logistic limitations. The classes will meet for 10 consecutive weeks on Tuesday evenings with one Saturday meeting for the SWAT demonstration. Participation in all the classes is important, according to Sgt. McGowan, due to the fact of the volume of information that is going to be presented. Missing two of more classes may result in a disqualification from the program. The dates for the third Citizens Police Academy are each Tuesday from Aug. 30 until Nov. 1 from 6-9pm. The SWAT demonstration will take place at the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Advance Firearms and Tactical Training Center on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 9am until noon. All those who are selected will be notified. There is no cost for those who are selected for the Citizens Police Academy. Those who participate and graduate from this year’s class will join the graduates of the first two Citizens Police Academy classes in the Citizens Police Academy Alumni. These alumni will have an opportunity to support the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office by encouraging participation in future academies and to promote the Sheriff’s Office through their contact with others outside the Sheriff’s Office. Last November, 21 Oconee County citizens graduated from the second Citizens Police Academy.