Sunday, December 9, 2012

MCSD citizens' police academy

Generally speaking, citizens' police academies involve multiple meetings and a group of citizens from across a community. And, generally speaking, people who sign up and start the academy stick around and finish it.

I cannot find anyone who knew about the academy offered by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. Since the Department is a taxpayer-supported agency, its programs involving residents should not be a secret.

Was the academy ever made public? John Lovaas of Woodstock asks good questions in a comment to a different article. And he's right.

How were people selected for the academy? If the community was notified and then interested parties submitted letters of interest or "applications", how were they screened? What were the qualifications? Was any class of person prohibited? Who picked the participants?

What were the guidelines for participating? Was there a cost?

What topics were covered in the program? Why were those topics chosen? Were any topics avoided?

How long was the program? What did it cost the taxpayers? Who from the sheriff's department was involved as a presenter? Was any overtime paid for employee presenters? How many participants stuck it out? How many quit part-way through?

Will there be another academy? When?

What is the formal name of the academy? Was there ever a media release about it? If not, why not?

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