The application process is open and limited for our 2026 Citizens Academy.  This academy begins on May 12, 2026, and runs for 10-weeks on Tuesdays from 6-9 PM until graduation on July 14, 2026.  The Academy is FREE to all participants!  The linked application below must be completed and returned to CCSO no later than Friday, April 17, 2026.

Community involvement is the most powerful force any law enforcement agency has in the fight against crime. Through the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy, it is our goal to encourage citizens to become more involved in making Columbia County a safer and better place to live.

The goal of the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy (“The Academy”) is to foster a relationship of trust and understanding between the citizens of Columbia County and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The Academy is designed to achieve this goal by providing the public with a working knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office.

Participants in the Academy will gain an insider’s perspective on law enforcement and how the criminal justice system functions. It is designed to provide the public with a working knowledge of their Sheriff’s Office mission, goals, operation, policies, and personnel. It is the desire of the Sheriff’s Office that the Academy will nurture mutual trust and cooperation between the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Columbia County.

The curriculum presented will include such topics as communications, patrol procedures, criminal investigations, crime prevention, school resource, K-9, SWAT, dive, detention facility and courthouse tours, and an end of course civilian ride along.

Citizen Law Enforcement Academies represent a vital part of community-oriented policing and help get the public involved by making them a part of the law enforcement family. The Academy provides a productive outlet for the mutual sharing of information and concerns in order to further the common goals of our community and the Sheriff’s Office.

Upon successful completion of the academy, each graduate will attend a graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion. Completion of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy will not authorize you, as a citizen, to take any law enforcement action. However, it will give you enough insight into what we do to make a difference in our law enforcement efforts.

For more information, please visit the Citizens Academy page HERE.