SPD to host 2022 Citizen’s Police Academy

Clarion Top News

Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:03

The Scottsboro Police Department and Chief Ron Latimer are proud to announce they will be hosting their 22nd Citizens’ Police Academy Program this year. In order to enhance and develop citizen awareness and understanding of law enforcement officers in our community, the SPD has developed the Academy. This concept in law enforcement is designed for citizens of all backgrounds and occupations in order that they may get a better understanding of what law enforcement is all about and to foster cooperative problem solving between the Scottsboro Police Department and the community.

The Scottsboro Police Department is committed to establishing close working ties with the members of the community they serve and establishing channels of communication in order to be responsive to the needs and desires of their community.

SPD is aiming to build a stronger relationship between the community and the department, while educating the community about law enforcement operations. This is a way for the community to be involved with SPD and for SPD to be involved with the community.

Areas covered include criminal law, crime prevention, investigations, DUI, patrol, use of force, the firing range, law enforcement officer training, roles and responsibilities of officers, use of firearms, traffic laws, crime scene search, communications, narcotics, gang education and specialized units.

Some of these classes are hands-on and require student participation.

The objective of the program is NOT to, and WILL NOT, make the graduates officers, but to better inform citizens of Scottsboro of the law enforcement officers’ many functions and to enhance community relations from these graduates and the people they interact with in everyday life.

The program consists of 20-24 hours of law enforcement officer training and is a nine-week program that will be held each Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will run March 15, 2022 through May 10, 2022, plus, a six-hour minimum Ride Along Program. Due to classroom size, the Academy will be limited to 20 participants per session. Attending the Academy is a privilege, not a right, and participants will be accepted on a first-come/first-serve basis. There is no charge for the classes. Participants personally interact with officers, detectives and other personnel in a non-traditional law enforcement setting.

Citizens applying for the Academy must adhere to the following standards:
• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• No criminal record other than minor traffic violations.
• Physically able to meet training requirements.
• Must attend seven of the nine classroom sessions.
• Must complete the ride-along ( six hours minimum).
• Must sign all required waivers and agreements.
• Must wear appropriate clothing.

Applications can be obtained online at http://scottsboropd.org or in person at The Scottsboro Police Department, 916 South Broad Street in Scottsboro. All applications must be completed and returned for approval no later than Monday, February 28, 2022. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Officer Wade Patterson at 256.574.4468 or 256.218.2005. Or email, wpatterson@scottsboroschools.net.