Crook County Sheriff’s Office wraps up Citizen’s Academy

On Wednesday, April 26, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office completed is 4 th annual Citizen’s Academy with 22 new graduates. This year’s class had a good mix of participants ranging from high school age to retirees. The thirteen week academy met on Wednesday nights for two hours at the library Broughton Room.

During this year’s academy members, received instruction from numerous deputies and supervisors from the Sheriff’s Office as well as from other law enforcement partners. Participants received classes on a wide variety of law enforcement topics to include: the history of the office of Sheriff, the pathway to become a deputy sheriff, criminal law and use of force, DUII and domestic violence investigation, civil law and emergency management, concealed handgun license, introduction to Parole and Probation, introductions to Corrections, and a firearms safety class with a range day

The Citizen’s Academy was not limited to just the classroom instruction but several field trips were taken to tour the Crook County Jail and the Prineville Police Department 911 Dispatch center. They were also given the opportunity to participate in a firearms safety class at our law enforcement firearms range.

Other class highlights included: use of force training where members participated in a “shoot no shoot” interactive scenario training. This is not a live fire training but utilizes an interactive training video machine that Sheriff’s Office instructors operate and trainees have to react to the scenario.

Last night was the final presentation from the Central Oregon Public Safety Chaplaincy followed by a potluck dinner and certificate of completion presented by Sheriff John Gautney. Tom Jay of “Studio Jay” was a graduate of last year’s class and volunteered to take a class picture. This is the 4 th year the Sheriff’s Office has conducted the Citizen’s Academy with approximately 80 graduates.

This is my second year as coordinator of the academy and am looking forward to next year. I would like to thank all who participated this year and for all the instructors who have spent countless hours on this project. We could not hold this without dedicated members from the Sheriff’s Office and several law enforcement partners.

If anyone is interested in attending next year, there is an application process. Please come and get an application from the Sheriff’s Office. We are taking applications for next year’s class which will start in February 2018.

Undersheriff James C. Savage

Crook County Sheriff’s Office