St. Charles hosting another citizens academy

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 18, 2012

By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE – After a successful and well-attended class earlier this year, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office is organizing another free Citizens Academy where residents can gain first-hand knowledge on operations within various law enforcement departments.

The academy consists of nine sessions and will be held one night a week starting Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Complex, 260 Edward Dufresne Parkway, Luling. The classes will be every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  

Sheriff Greg Champagne said the program involves classroom time, interactive instruction and a variety of scenarios that deal with the daily operation of law enforcement.

“Participants will be given the same information that our police recruits and officers taking in-service training receive,” Champagne said. “Those one-hour television shows make it look easy, but in reality there is much more to actual police work.”

Topics covered during an 8-week academy held in February included patrol, K-9 training and animal cruelty, traffic, marine enforcement, communications and public information, corrections, criminal and crime scene investigations, Internet crimes and homeland security. The sessions earlier this year attracted a large number of interested citizens, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Pat Yoes.

To qualify for attendance of the academy, applicants must be at least 21 years of age, work or live in St. Charles Parish and commit to attending all classes.

All participants must also provide information necessary for a criminal background check.

Those who are interested in attending the training should complete the online registration at www.st charlessheriff.org and mail it to Martha Heggelund at 260 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway, Luling, LA 70070. Applicants will be notified upon acceptance into the academy. For more information contact Heggelund at 985-783-1280.