BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Ever have a burning desire to know what happens inside the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office?  That’s good! Not everyone does.

Some folks are already great fans of law enforcement, others are fierce foes. They may know someone who works in law enforcement or they may have had a friend get booked into jail. In both cases, the connection can shape perception.

But even if neither applies to you, there’s something to be said for creating that connection and exploring the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) from the inside out.

The phrase “walk a mile in another person’s shoes” means to learn more about a person before judging them. It seems fair to apply that to law enforcement personnel as well.

Here’s how to do just that: sign up for the WCSO Community Academy. This year’s 12-week information academy begins in less than a month. Sign-up is now underway via the WCSO Community Academy webpage.

There’s a lot to learn about! For instance, there are far more than just patrol deputies in the Sheriff’s Office. There are also:

• Marine, K-9, and Search and Rescue units, and
• The Division of Emergency Management reports to the Sheriff
• So do the Chiefs of Professional Standards and Corrections
• Administrative support includes Records, Civil, contracts management, ID and fingerprinting
• WCSO personnel have special expertise in
  • Crime scene investigation
  • Drones and evidence-gathering
  • Hostage negotiation
  • Use of Force and Behavioral Health

You’ll learn about all that – and more. For instance: what initiates a SWAT response? How do public defenders and prosecutors work with the WCSO? What happens to video from body-worn cameras?

If you can’t sign up for Community Academy this year, you can still become better acquainted with the work (and the people doing the work) via the WCSO Spotlight on Service series.

“The more you know…”