Spots remain for OC Sheriff’s Office Citizens Police Academy

Spots remain for Oconee County residents who are interested in signing up for the second Citizens Police Academy that will give individuals a chance to experience what a day in the life of a police officer is like. Citizens of Oconee County can sign up now for the classes at the website of the Sheriff’s Office at www.oconeelaw.com by clicking on the “Citizens Police Academy” link near the upper right portion of the website. Applications need to be printed 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 hopes 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 second “Citizens Police Academy” will be each Tuesday from Tuesday, Sept. 1 until Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6pm until 9pm each night at the Oconee County Law Enforcement Center at 300 South Church Street in Walhalla. The SWAT demonstration will take place at the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Advance Firearms and Tactical Training Center on Saturday, Sept. 19 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 Citizens Police Academy in the “Citizens Police Academy Alumni.” These alumni will have an opportunity to support the 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, 24 Oconee citizens graduated from the first Citizens Police Academy.