The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will graduate its eighth “Citizens’ Academy” class on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., at the Sheriff’s Office Training Academy, 993 Dovecrest. Twenty-seven (27) students will graduate.

Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., speaks to members of the Citizens' Academy.

“This has been an excellent opportunity for people to learn more about the inner-workings of the Sheriff’s Office. I commend these citizens for giving several weeks of their time to learn more about law enforcement and how they can assist us in our efforts to keep Memphis and Shelby County a safe place to live and work,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

During the ten week course, students saw equipment demonstrations, participated in group discussions and attended presentations by officers and staff members from various divisions.

Program topics included:

• Dispatch Communications
• Records and Identification
• Metro D.U.I.
• Civil Division-Courts
• Gang Unit
• Shelby County District Homeland Security
• Shelby County District Attorney’s Office
• Reserve Division (Deputies-Emergency Medical Services-Special Services Volunteers)
• Crime Report Center
• Jail Operations
• S.W.A.T. Team
• Bomb Squad
• Patrol
• Detectives
• Dog Squad
• Narcotics
• Crime Prevention
• Training
• Pistol Range
• Bureau of Professional Standards and Integrity
• Traffic
• Administrative Services (budget and operations)
• Metro Alarm Office (residential and commercial security alarms)
• Public Affairs

The next Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy class will begin this fall. So far, 132 people have graduated from classes which began in 2003.

Those interested in attending may call the Sheriff’s Office Training Academy at (901) 387-5750 or register by E-mail at the Sheriff’s Office website at www.shelby-sheriff.org.

Before students are selected for the class, they must pass a criminal background check.