23rd Session of Beaufort County Citizen's Police Academy

Have you ever wanted to be a law enforcement officer?

Have you ever wondered if what you see on CSI is real?

Have you ever wanted to how your tax dollars are being spent in relation to the Sheriff’s Office?

Maybe you just want to learn more strategies in protecting yourself, family, and property.

If you answered yes to any of these questions you are just the person we want to attend our
Citizen’s Police Academy. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is inviting all citizens who live or work in
Beaufort County, and who are at least 18 years old, to come join the team. Since 2002 we have hosted
22 sessions of the CPA, and have partnered with over a thousand dedicated citizens just like you. Take
this opportunity to learn about your Sheriff’s Office and how to better protect yourself.

Classes run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Beaufort on Tuesdays and in Hilton Head on Thursdays.
Class participants will learn about the various aspects of the Sheriff’s Office, and will have face time with
the department’s decision and policy makers. The Sheriff’s Office provides each member with an in-depth
manual for each topic covered, and refreshments are served at each session. Some of the topics covered
by CPA instructors include: enforcement, criminal investigations, civil process, warrants, juvenile services,
training, homeland security, drug enforcement, traffic enforcement, special teams, gangs, budget
process, and much, much more.

The CPA also provides various “hands-on” demonstrations to enhance your participation in the
program. Don a pair of latex gloves and immerse yourself in the world of Crime Scene Processing with
our CSI scenario. Suit up and learn the physical and legal dangers of firing your duty weapon utilizing the
Shoot/Don’t Shoot or Force on Force exercises in the “Walk in Our Shoes” scenarios. Find out why if you
drink and drive we’ll provide the chaser in our D.U.I. Fatal Vision scenarios. All of these exercises,
although extremely entertaining, are designed to give you a snapshot of what law enforcement around the
country is faced with every day.

We will conclude our sessions with a highly interactive chat session with Sheriff P.J. Tanner. Also
included in the program is a “Citizen Ride-a-long,” a field trip to the Emergency Management Center and
to our range facility were we will showcase some of our specialized equipment and our S.W.A.T. and K-9
teams. Once you have completed the program you and your guest are invited to take part in a graduation
ceremony designed to show our appreciation and pride for you and your commitment to making Beaufort
County a better place to live. This is the perfect time of year to attend, so don’t put it off any longer. Come
join the Sheriff’s Office CPA Family. Applications for the Citizen’s Police Academy are available at the
Sheriff’s Office or on our website; www.bcso.net. To have an application mailed to you please contact
Captain T.W. Smith at 470-3292.

Special Note:
“Walk In Our Shoes” (Simmunitions) & “D.U.I. Experience” (Fatal Vision)
February 17, 2009 / 6:00 PM (Beaufort Range Facility on Shanklin Road)
February 19, 2009 / 6:00 PM (Hilton Head – TBA)

We are also sending a special invitation to the media to have a representative attend the “Walk in Our
Shoes” Practical Problem Exercise. What this entails is: Participants will receive a brief weapon familiarization class and safety brief. Participants must be at the event location before or at the indicated start time. Participants will don a set of BCSO coveralls and all appropriate safety equipment to include:
Helmet, neck protector, chest protector, groin protector and gloves. Participants will also be issued a Glock Simmunition Pistol. (Simmunition = Simulated Ammunition, similar to a small paintball). Participants will be issued a scenario, such as they are responding to a disturbance, burglary or other call for service and will respond to our shoot-house with their partner to answer the call. Once inside, the scenario will play out based on real events and the amount of control the participant’s exhibit over the situation. This is a great opportunity for you to obtain pictures, video footage and sound bites for your newscast. Instructors will also be on hand to provide answers to any questions.

For more information on this exercise please contact S/Sgt. Mike Jennings at 470-3287 or by email at mjennings@bcgov.net. RSVPs are needed due to a limited amount of space and we reserve the right to modify the dates and times to accommodate the volume of participants. All persons must sign a waiver prior to participating in the scenarios. You are also invited to have a representative attend the entire 10 week CPA program; however we are also aware of the difficulty of doing this. Thank you for all of your support you have given us with promoting the CPA and we look forward to hosting you at this event.

For any press members wishing to attend our “hands-on” sessions or any of the other CPA sessions, please contact PIO Cpl. Robin McIntosh at 843-842-4111 ext. 275 or pager 843-363-1010.