Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A safe county is hard work

LEOs on the job

The blue cars with gold lettering are part of the landscape in Goochland. They, and the staff of the Sheriff’s Office, are on the job 24/7 every day of the year.

The Goochland Sherriff’s Office is the only county department where the phone is always answered in person by one of our fine dispatchers who work from the county control center deep under the courthouse complex.
Keeping the peace, even in a place like Goochland, is a complicated process.

A wonderful opportunity to learn more about the operation of our local law enforcement agency is coming up. The Goochland Sherriff’s office Citizens’ Academy, which is open to those 18 and older, starts on February 22. The sign up deadline is February 13. For an application and rules, go to www.goochlandsheriff.org or call 556-5349 for more information.

Sessions, which are held on Wednesday evenings, include: a tour of the Henrico County Jail; court security; investigations; drug interdiction; school security; traffic control and K-9 operations.

Participants are eligible to ride along with a sworn deputy on a regular duty shift to provide insight into the wide range of duties our LEOs perform on every day and the ever changing complications that they deftly navigate on a regular basis.

While you’re visiting the Sheriff’s Office website, take a few minutes to read the 2011 Annual Sheriff’s Report. Prepared by Sheriff James L. Agnew, this report gives an overview of the budget, staffing and significant events for the year just ended.

Keeping the peace in Goochland presents some unique challenges. Due to its long, narrow configuration, just getting around the county, whose land area is slightly larger than that of Henrico, can be tricky.

Law enforcement is a manpower intense operation, Agnew is fond of saying. Our deputies do an outstanding job with limited resources. This does not happen by accident but is the result of good management and a high degree of commitment by every member of the Sheriff’s Office.

By selecting only the highest caliber candidates for deputy and other staff positions and expecting high standards of performance, the Goochland Sheriff’s Office is a law enforcement agency with a reputation for excellence throughout the Commonwealth.

Learn more by joining the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy. Classes are limited to 25 people, so sign up today!

1 comment:

Pat said...

This is a fantastic class (or was when I took it several years ago), and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

One of my favorite parts was putting on the goggles that simulate being drunk and practically falling off the curb. I also loved the tracking dogs and was amazed at their skills. Going to the Henrico jail was a real experience - one of those 'scared straight' moments!

You get to sign up to ride shifts with the deputies, which can go in an instant from boredom to sheer excitement. In one ride-along, we helped the State Police with a guy who tried to run away from them on I64.