Dakota County Sheriff's Office to Host Citizen Academy Beginning in March

Editor's Note: The following is a news release from the Dakota County Sheriff's Office.

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce its 2013 eight-week “Citizen Academy.”

This educational and informative program was designed so that our citizens can learn more about the issues facing law enforcement in our local communities. We believe that providing insight into the philosophy and operations of the Sheriff’s Office will build stronger ties with our citizens and help them to better understand the objectives of law enforcement.

Among the topics to be covered during the course of the academy are:
- History of the Sheriff’s Office;
- Use of force;
- Traffic stops;
- Searching and handcuffing procedures;
- Driving While Impaired (DWI) process;
- Laws of arrest;
- Criminal charging process;
- Judicial process;
- Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) Team;
- Taser demonstration;
- Canine demonstration;
- Crime scene processing;
- Internet crime; and
- Overview of the Dakota County Jail.

The academy will be held on eight consecutive Thursdays, beginning March 14th and concluding May 2nd. Each session will run from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Training locations will vary. All applicants will have to pass a background investigation to be considered for participation in the academy.

Anyone interested in attending the Citizen Academy or having specific questions about the program should contact Captain Jim Rogers at (651) 438-4721 or Jim.Rogers@co.dakota.mn.us.