It is time once again for the big Sheriff’s Family Day celebration, which is a family-friendly, outdoor event with a strong anti-drug message. This year, the Sheriff’s Family Day will take place on Saturday, October 11th from 1:00 to 5:00 PM., at Stuart School (Keith & 20th). Mark your calendars now because you do not want to miss it.

Last year, media estimates put the Sheriff’s Family Day attendance between 3,000 and 5,000, and this year promises to be even larger. It is our way of calling attention to the dangers of illegal drugs and promoting positive community and family values.

As always, there is no charge to attend Family Day and we will have free food, live entertainment, show cars and motorcycles, horseback rides, a climbing wall, hayrides, bouncy air toys and much, much more, including plenty of door prizes and free giveaways. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets, make yourself comfortable and have fun. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments and enjoy some shade tree picking.

Family Day will also feature plenty of local public service organizations’ vehicles and exhibits, including the BCSO “Tank.” The Life Force helicopter is also scheduled to touch down again this year. Life Force is always a big hit with the kids and it’s a thrill watching it land and take off. We will also be offering parents an opportunity to have their children photographed and fingerprinted. This has proven to be an invaluable tool in safely resolving child abductions.

Any non-profit, charitable and public service organizations that may wish to be a part of this year’s Family Day to distribute public service information should contact Jennifer Johnson (728-7304) to see if their group qualifies. But do it soon, as space is limited and time is running out.

I want to also extend an invitation to all elected officials ~ city and county ~ to come out for Family Day and spend time with citizens. Although we will be offering non-partisan voter registration, the Sheriff’s Family Day is not a political event and there will not be any political speeches. But it is an excellent opportunity for public officials to be introduced and keep in touch with their constituents in person. I hope everyone serving in public office will come spend the day with us.

So mark October 11 on your calendar and we’ll see you at the second annual Sheriff’s Family Day.

Another reminder: Coming up in January we will begin our first Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy: “It shall be the mission of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office to provide the students of the Citizens Academy with an educational law enforcement experience that will enhance the understanding of the law enforcement profession.  Our goal is to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of those in attendance by performing these duties with integrity, respect, fairness and professionalism.” ~ Mission Statement of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy

There is still room available in the new BCSO Citizens Academy, so come by the Justice Center and pick up your application as soon as possible. Cut-off date is December 1st. Classes will begin on January 20th, 2009, and run through March 24th. Citizens Academy classes will be Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and will be held at the Justice Center unless otherwise stated in the Academy packet.

The Citizens Academy is free, but class size is limited to the first 25 qualified applicants. Criminal history checks will be done on all applicants before they will be accepted into the program and anyone with a felony conviction will not be allowed to participate.

The purpose of the Citizens Academy is to strengthen the BCSO’s partnership with the community and enhance public understanding of law enforcement, including Constitutional and criminal law, landmark case rulings, warrants and searches, domestic violence, canines, use of force, booking procedures, budgeting, fleet management, accreditation and numerous other issues that people may not be not familiar with. Citizens will have an opportunity to meet the sheriff, the command staff and deputies, as well as tour the Justice Center, the 911 Center and various divisions of the BCSO, and become acquainted with some of the programs within the BCSO designed to further protect and educate youngsters, such as the SRO program, the Explorers and LEAF Academy.

This is an excellent opportunity for Bradley County citizens to learn more about how county law enforcement works. I look forward to meeting everyone who signs up.

You can download an application packet for the Citizens Academy at the BCSO web site or pick one up here at the Justice Center. If you would like further information, call Lt. Eddie Scoggins (423-728-7330) or Sgt. Gwen Beavers (423-728-7319).

For more information about the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office and our various events, visit web site often. You can contact us by calling (423) 7287300, or writing to: Bradley County Justice Center, 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland TN 37311. If you would like to reach me directly, email me: comments@bradleysheriff.com