The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office today announced the establishment of its first Citizen Police Academy, a program that gives citizens an opportunity to learn about the operation of the sheriff’s office and to educate the public in ways in which it can become working partners with the sheriff’s office and its employees.

Academy classes will be held on nine consecutive Thursday evenings for three hours, six to nine PM, in the sheriff’s office conference room in Salida.  The first class is scheduled for Thursday, August 7 with a graduation luncheon planned for Saturday, September 20.  Two six-hour Saturday sessions are planned, one at a local firearms range where students will participate in hands-on firearms practice; and a second during which students will learn about evidence collection and participate in a mock crime scene scenario.

There is no cost to those participating in the academy.  Attendance is limited to fifteen persons.  Applicants must be 21 years or older, residents of Chaffee County, and free of any criminal record.

Applications are available from the sheriff’s records office, 641 West 3^rd Street, Salida; or by mail by phoning 719-539-2814.  An application may also be downloaded and printed from the sheriff’s office website at: http://chaffeesheriff.org/records/about-records/.

Completed applications must be returned to the records office in person or by mail.

Anyone interested in learning more about the program is encouraged to contact Undersheriff John Spezze at jspezze@chaffeesheriff.org, or by phone at 719-207-3199.