The start of the second Knox County Sheriff's Office's Citizen's Police Academy is three weeks away. The Knox County Sheriff's Office has found that education has been most effective in gaining understanding and support from the community. Through the implementation of the Citizen's Police Academy; the Knox County Sheriff's Office can offer the citizens of Knox County new insights into how police, corrections officers and dispatchers perform their duties, as well as how these departments serve the

community. Citizen's are reminded that space is limited and applications should be submitted no later than March 11.

Due to the success of the first and demand for more, the Citizen Police Academy is now a ten-week program where citizens from the community attend a three-hour class one night a week for ten weeks. Citizens who wish to attend may fill out an application online at knoxso.com/community/cpa or pick up an application at the Sheriff's Office. Completed applications should be returned to the Sheriff's Office, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Applications will be reviewed and all attendees will be selected by the Sheriff and her Command Staff.

The Lead Instructor of the Academy will be Sergeant Lance Mitchell. Classes will be taught by Knox County Deputies. We will also have guest speakers from the Knox County District Attorney's Office, the Knox County Regional Communications Center, the Maine State Marine Patrol, the Maine Warden's Service and others.

The curriculum will cover such areas as the history of policing, Maine law, patrol procedures, criminal investigative techniques, evidence recovery, K-9 program, drug recognition expert program, etc. Each academy participant will also receive basic hands-on training in arrest control, basic hand to hand combat techniques. Role playing is also an important component of the program. Classes will begin on March 16, and will be on Wednesday nights from 6-9 p.m.