Davidson County Sheriff's Office to host Citizen Academy
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office wants the community to know more about their local law enforcement, and they hope to learn more about the people in their communities as well.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is currently registering people for the Citizen’s Academy, a once-a-week session from 6:30 to 9 p.m. from March 7 to May 2. This program is free but you must be registered to attend.
The purpose of the Citizen’s Academy is to teach people the mission of the sheriff’s office, and how deputies conduct the law enforcement based on the requirements of the law.
Cpl. Chris Azelton, crime prevention specialist and program coordinator, said the hope is that by attending this class, citizens will be more knowledgeable of law enforcement activities and be able to make better judgments about law enforcement in general.
“It is a program to bring citizens in to see what the sheriff’s department does, how it operates, what are the processes. We want people to know what goes on here. As the sheriff has often said, we want to be transparent,” said Azelton.
He also said that the concerns of the citizens matter.
“Our hope is after taking the course, they will go out in the community, and when they hear people saying
[incorrect] things about the sheriff’s department, they can give people the correct information,” said Azelton.
The program also will include a basic introduction to how the court system operates, what the differences are between criminal and civil crimes and how charges progress from investigations to a court hearing. CPR certification will also be an option for those who attend, which is a fantastic benefit for participants!
Registrants must be 21 or older and a resident of Davidson County. All applicants are subject to a background screening.
Applicants must not be convicted or currently charged with any felony or serious misdemeanors or a current defendant in an active civil suit. They must also not be a current or former member of any criminal gang or organization that advocates the overthrow of any local, state, or federal government.
Anyone who registers and is selected is asked to commit to attending at least 80% of classes offered.
