Citizen's Police Academy 2017 To Give Inside Look At Harford County Sheriff's Office

BEL AIR, MD — The Harford County Sheriff's Office invites residents to get an inside look at the agency by enrolling in its free Citizen's Police Academy.

In the 11-week program, citizens will be exposed to the various parts of the department, from the K-9 unit to patrol. They will also listen to presentations from deputies on topics like gang activity and participate in field trips and role-playing activities to understand the mentality a deputy must have to make decisions on the job.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 1. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and Harford County residents. The application is below and can also be found here; it's not long — just one page!

The Harford County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Police Academy is 11 weeks. Participants will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, from March 15 to May 24.

Here is an explanation of what the academy covers, from the Harford County Sheriff's Office:

"Weekly classroom instruction will include overviews of nearly every aspect of Sheriff's Office operations, from patrol services and criminal investigation to the agency's K-9 Unit, and Special Operations. Deputies will provide presentations on topics such as personal safety, drug identification, and gang activity. Students will supplement their classroom training with field trips to the Harford County Detention Center, the Harford County Emergency Operations Center, Harford County Circuit Courthouse, and the Southern Precinct. As part of the Academy, students will have the opportunity to participate in real life role play scenarios that will test their abilities to make the same split second decisions deputies make on a daily basis. Join us as we work together to make Harford County a safe place we can all enjoy."

Photo by Elizabeth Janney.