The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is now accepting applications for the first Citizens’ Academy being held in 2015.
The Citizens’ Academy will begin on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, and will be held on Tuesday evenings, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Academy will be conducted over a nine week period, culminating in a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 9, 2015.
The Academy will offer participants a broad overview and unique insight into the various functions of the Sheriff’s Office. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with deputies to observe first hand the variety of calls handled by the Sheriff’s Office. A tour of the Criminal Justice Center will be conducted to demonstrate the challenges facing our detention staff. Topics of discussion will include the intricacies of a criminal investigation as detectives take them through the investigative process. Additionally, participants will learn about use of force, vice and narcotics operations, and emergency services, which includes our Wildland Fire and Search & Rescue teams.
The Citizens’ Academy also serves as a pre-requisite for those who are interested in volunteering in the Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol (SCP) volunteer program. Citizens’ Academy attendees interested in this program would be required to complete the SCP Training Academy for an additional four weeks.
Those interested in attending the Citizens’ Academy can download and print an application from the Sheriff’s Office Website at www.epcsheriffsoffice.com, or may contact the Volunteer Program Coordinator, Cathryn Richards, at 719-520-7216 to request an application. There is no charge to attend the Citizens’ Academy; however, seating will be limited to the first forty completed applications received. Applications must be returned no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 23rd.