By Dean Maddox, Public Safety & Crime Reporter

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is opening registration for its 2026 Community Awareness Academy, a free month-long program giving residents a behind-the-scenes look at how local law enforcement actually works

If you want to learn about policing, this is the way. Don’t get your information from Hollywood or opinionated people on X.

Classes run every Monday and Wednesday from March 2–25, 6:00–8:30 p.m., at the Auburn Justice Center’s Community Room (2929 Richardson Drive).

The Academy features presentations from several specialized Sheriff’s Office units, including:

• K-9 Unit

• Search & Rescue

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (Bomb Squad)

• Special Enforcement Team (SWAT)

• Marine Patrol

• Investigations & Evidence

Participants will also take guided field visits to the South Placer County Jail, the 911 Dispatch Center, and the Air Operations hangar — the place where the helicopters live, for anyone who’s ever seen them overhead and wondered who’s flying and why.

Who Can Apply

The academy is free, but there are a few requirements:

• Must be 18 or older

• Must live or work in Placer County

• Must pass a minor background check
  (If that last one made you nervous, you probably already know why.)

Registration is open until Monday, February 2 at 8:00 a.m., and the class is capped at 30 participants.

The Sheriff’s Office says the goal is simple: make policing less mysterious. Deputies often deal with split-second decisions most people only encounter through headlines after the fact. The Academy aims to give residents a clearer sense of the job. You’ll learn about the work that happens long before the lights and sirens ever come on.

For anyone curious about how Placer County stays safe the Community Awareness Academy offers a rare, no-cost look inside the Sheriff’s operations.

Registration is open now at:
https://placer.ca.gov/FormCenter/Sheriff-12/Community-Awareness-Academy-Registration-269