Potter County Sheriff Is Accepting Citizen Academy Applications

If you have ever wanted to see what being a law enforcement officer is all about, now is your chance. Coming up in September, the Potter County Sheriff's Department will conduct their 11th Citizens Academy. The Citizen's Academy is a 12-week program designed to familiarize residents of Potter County with the goals, objectives, organizational structure and general operating procedures of the Potter County Sheriff’s Office.

The academy meets weekly for 12 sessions on Tuesday evenings from 6pm till 9pm with one class on a Saturday. They will take you through every division they have. They will also work with Fire and Rescue, DPS, and have one night of nothing but the jail. The academy will have a firearms day and will allow you to go through the shoot house and make split second real life decisions. During the time they will allow you to ride with Potter County deputies as well. You will learn:

• Sheriff’s Patrol Procedures
• Detention Center Procedures and Tour
• Criminal Investigations (CID)
• Criminal Intelligence Unit (SCIU)
• CPR Training
• Dispatch/communications/911
• Firearms/Simunitions Training – Safety
• Overview of the Judicial System
• Overview of the Potter County Sheriff’s Office

​The Potter County Sheriff's Office recognizes that there is a lot of tension between communities and law enforcement, and they want to offer this program as a way to build better understanding of how they do their job and interact with citizens. The objective of the academy is to build a better understanding between citizens and the Sheriff’s Office through education and communication and to promote goodwill and community support.

The instructors are supervisors, deputies and personnel from the Sheriff’s Office who teach in their own areas of expertise. Each instructor has years of training and experience in the subject they will instruct. All personnel bring street experience and expertise to the classroom.

There is no fee for participation in the Citizen’s Academy. All you need to do to start the process is fill out an application. You can go to the Sheriff's Office website at PotterCountySheriff.org or contact Sgt. Mickey Blackmon at (806) 379-2964. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, you must agree to a background check, and have no criminal record. The class will be limited to 32 students and priority will be given to applicants who reside in Potter County, Amarillo, TX. The Sheriff will make the final selection of Academy participants.