Citizen’s Academy of Jefferson Parish Police Opens Doors for Civic Education

by Jonathan Kim

On April 7th, 2009, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Police Office will begin a Citizen’s Academy at the Training Academy in Harvey in an effort to enhance relationships with the community and educate citizens on the duties and responsibilities of the department. The course consists of 15 hours of instruction taught by various members of the Sheriff’s Office, and it provides site tours, demonstrations, and classroom lectures regarding various sections of the department such as SWAT, the crime lab, K-9, and others.

The application process is free and open to any citizen 21 years or older residing in Jefferson Parish. The Sheriff’s Office particularly encourages civic and business leaders as well as any concerned citizen to apply for the class. Participants must attend one 2.5 hour class every week for a period of six weeks. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate and can participate in the Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Police Office wants to inform the public of its duties and responsibilities because it believes that informed citizens contribute to the overall public safety of the community. These citizens will be able to make good decisions about how to protect their businesses and aid the department in their efforts to reduce crime.
According to the description written by the Sheriff’s Office, this class offers “a great opportunity to meet your police officers, fellow citizens, and other members of the law enforcement profession to learn why we do what we do and how we accomplish it.”
In a letter written by Sheriff Newell Normand, JPSO affirmed that a “primary purpose of the Citizen’s Academy is to enhance community relations and to open the Sheriff’s Office to the public…The Academy is a program that can and will spark enthusiasm needed to achieve community involvement in developing solutions for the future betterment of our community.”
For more information, please contact Steven E. LaChute (363-5705) at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Police Office or visit their website at www.jpso.com.

Tags: citizen academy, criminal justice, jefferson parish, latinola, latinos, law enforcement, new orleans, puentes

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under Other News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.