Skip to main content

Community Program

Citizens' Academy

Ten Wednesday evenings inside the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office — Patrol, SWAT, Investigations, Detention, and the people behind them. Free for Jefferson County residents.

Apply Now See the 10 Weeks
10

Weeks

30

Hours of Instruction

$0

Tuition

2006

Alumni Assoc. Founded

About the Academy

An Inside Look at Your Sheriff's Office

The Citizens' Academy gives Jefferson County residents firsthand information about how their sheriff's office works, in an interactive classroom setting at our headquarters in Golden.

The goal is understanding in both directions: you learn what deputies face daily and how law enforcement fits into the criminal justice system, and we build a closer partnership with the people we serve — one that makes realistic solutions to neighborhood problems easier to find.

The Syllabus

Ten Wednesdays, Every Division

Week one is orientation. The weeks that follow take you unit by unit through the sheriff's office, taught by the deputies and staff who work there.

Orientation & Welcome

Week 1

Meet your instructors and classmates, get the course overview, and see how the next ten weeks will run.

Patrol

Daily patrol operations — calls for service, traffic stops, and the decisions deputies make on every shift.

  • Use of Force
  • Community Policing

Public Affairs

How the sheriff’s office communicates with the public, from daily updates to major incidents.

SWAT & Special Units

The teams called when a situation exceeds patrol — with live demonstrations from our special units.

  • K-9 Demo
  • SORT Team
  • Bomb Squad

Investigations

How cases are built, from first report to charges — including the crimes that are hardest to talk about.

  • Child Abuse
  • Domestic Violence

Detention Services

Inside the county jail — intake, housing, and the work of the deputies who run it around the clock.

Who the Academy Serves

The academy exists to increase understanding between citizens and the sheriff's office through education — and understanding runs in every direction.

For You

  • Firsthand knowledge of how your sheriff's office actually works
  • Behind-the-scenes access to SWAT, K-9, and the Bomb Squad
  • Deputies' training and street experience, in their own words
  • No tuition — the academy is free

For the Sheriff's Office

  • Residents who understand the tasks deputies face daily
  • A closer partnership with the people we serve
  • Graduates who go on to volunteer alongside the office

For Jefferson County

  • Realistic solutions to neighborhood problems, found together
  • Trust built through education rather than incident
  • Alumni who give back — Safety Fair, Christmas Crusade for Children

Your Instructors

Taught by the People Who Do the Work

Every instructor is a deputy or staff member of the sheriff's office, teaching in their own area of expertise — years of training, backed by street experience.

Who Can Apply

  • Resident of Jefferson County
  • At least 18 years of age
  • A background check will be conducted on each applicant

The Sheriff's Office reserves the right to deny entry to the academy.

Start Your Application

Common Questions

All applicants must be residents of Jefferson County and at least 18 years of age. A background check will be conducted on each applicant, and the Sheriff's Office reserves the right to deny entry to the academy.

Nothing — there is no fee for the academy.

Classes are held every Wednesday night for 10 weeks, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office headquarters in Golden, Colorado.

Sessions cover Patrol, Public Affairs, SWAT, Investigations, and Detention Services, plus law enforcement issues like child abuse, use of force, community policing, and domestic violence. The academy also includes demonstrations from the K-9 unit, SORT team, Bomb Squad, and other special units.

All graduates are invited to join the Citizens' Academy Alumni Association (JeffCo CA3), formed in 2006. Alumni continue their education in law enforcement and criminal justice and support the Sheriff's Office as community volunteers.

After Graduation

The Citizens' Academy Alumni Association

Every graduate is invited to join JeffCo CA3, the Citizens' Academy Alumni Association. Formed in 2006, it furthers education in law enforcement, criminal justice, and related fields — and keeps graduates connected to the sheriff's office as community volunteers.

  • Six general meetings a year, every other month on the third Thursday
  • Tours of Jefferson County partner agencies
  • Volunteer opportunities like the Sheriff's Office Safety Fair and Christmas Crusade for Children

For more information on the alumni association, contact the JeffCo CA3 Chair, Nancy Mayer, at (303) 881-8808.

Apply to the Citizens' Academy

Complete the application below. Your application will be securely submitted to our office.

Encrypted submission — download a PDF copy for your records

Personal Info

Step 1 of 5

To apply for the Citizens' Academy, please complete this application. Applicants must be Jefferson County residents at least 18 years of age. A background check will be conducted on each applicant.

Information submitted on this form is transmitted over an encrypted HTTPS connection and stored in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office secure records system. No form data is sent by email. If you do not feel comfortable providing certain information on this form, please contact the Citizens' Academy coordinator at (303) 271-5819 and we can take that information over the phone. By submitting this form you acknowledge you are aware of your options and chose to share this information.

Questions about the Citizens' Academy?

Crime Prevention Deputy Mark Bybee

Call (303) 271-5819