As everyone knows, the challenges that face law enforcement professionals across this great country are many. The citizens we serve have expectations regarding the services we provide; how and when we provide those services, how we behave while providing those services, and the decisions we make. During my time as a law enforcement officer, I have seen these expectations change dramatically. I get the pleasure of meeting many of you, my fellow community members, every single week, and it’s always interesting to get the different perspectives from people about my job. People have many thoughts and ideas about law enforcement, what we do, and why. During my discussions with folks, I inevitably hear things that are simply untrue, or inaccurate. Some of these things have comic value, while many others are downright disturbing. Regardless of where people get their information, those of us who wear the badge have a universal challenge: overcoming the many “myths” or stereotypes about who we are, how we function, and why we make the decisions to act and do what we do while performing our duties.

I’m the type of person who enjoys “leaving a situation better than I found it”. I have the privilege of sharing information about all aspects of my duties with the public, and in the process, (hopefully) dispelling some of the myths and fantasies that people have about law enforcement in general. One of the ways the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office does this is by hosting two citizens academies twice per year. The idea here is simple: people can register for a multi-week program for free, and come learn the TRUTH about who we are and what we do! The spring class covers officer-involved shootings, use of force, the laws that govern the use of force, decision-making, and the protocols for investigating an incident afterwards. During this program, people get the opportunity to participate in reality-based patrol situations, and make these sometimes life-or-death decisions for themselves. We do this for a very simple reason: The real world isn’t Hollywood, and Hollywood isn’t the real world! People have the opportunity to ask questions, and receive real information about these incidents.

So, I encourage anyone who’d like to be part of this experience to contact me and register at crjohnston@spokanesheriff.org. Seating is limited, so do it now! The more we understand about each other, the better we can work together.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Spring 2018 Citizens Academy
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING INCIDENTS

• Learn about these tragic incidents and why they occur
• Learn how Officers & Deputies work to prevent these incidents
• Participate in REAL use of force training scenarios, and learn the truth about the laws governing the use of force

WHEN: Every Monday night in April, starting on the 2nd and ending on the 30th. Class runs from 6 to 9p.m. (5 days total).
WHERE: Spokane County Sheriff’s Training Center, 6011 N. Chase Rd.
TO SIGN UP: Call Deputy Chris Johnston @ 509-477-2592 or email at crjohnston@spokanesheriff.org
Please only register if you plan to attend, as seating is limited! Background check will be performed on all applicants.

THIS IS A FREE CLASS

- Be Safe Everyone!

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CAN BE DIRECTED TO DEPUTY CHRIS JOHNSTON OF THE CRIME PREVENTION UNIT OF THE SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: CRJOHNSTON@SPOKANESHERIFF.ORG