Law enforcement agencies seeking applicants for Latino Police Academy

The Town of Avon recently issued the following press release on its 13th annual Latino Police Academy:

The Avon Police Department will be hosting its 13th annual Latino Police Academy, with the goal of educating and informing citizens about the roles and capabilities of the Avon Police Department, Vail Police Department, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, and Eagle Police Department.  

The Academy will take place every Monday, starting July 7th through August 25th. Classes will be held from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Join us for an inside look at what it’s like to work as a police officer in Eagle County.  

The academy will consist of a total of eight classes, all taught in Spanish.

The following topics will be presented:

• July 7: State of the Police Department, crime in Avon, community policing, AvonPolice Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, and crime scene investigations; including fingerprinting, latent prints, dusting, and black lights.
• July 14: Drug Recognition Experts and DUI enforcement.  Participants will learn how to evaluate the sobriety of an individual and perform tests on an intoxicated person.   
• July 21: S.W.A.T. participants will learn about the Eagle County Special Operations Unit and will also be taught basic self-defense techniques.
• July 28: Defensive driving training. Participants will have the opportunity to drive a marked patrol vehicle equipped with lights and sirens through a driving course set up by the driving instructor. 
• August 4:  Firearms Training Simulator (FATS), participants will be given a computer simulation of shoot or don’t shoot situations and be required to react as a police officer in compliance with the use of force policy.
• August 11: Vail Public Safety Communications Center (VPSCC) presentation.
• August 18: Participants will visit the Eagle County Victims Advocates and Courtroom for a presentation as well as a tour of the Eagle County Detention Facility.
• August 25: An evening with firearms instructors at the firing range.

The Avon Latino Police Academy is open to a maximum of 25 students, all subject to a background check. Due to the subject matter, we require participants to be at least eighteen years of age, have no felony convictions, and have no significant or recent misdemeanor convictions. Participants must also be willing to complete a waiver of liability. Fill out an application today at the Avon Police Department or online at http://avon.org/2043/Latino-Citizens-Academy. You can also email your registration form to Detective Alan Hernandez at ahernandez@avon.org.

For more information in Spanish, please contact APD Community Outreach Coordinator Brenda Torres at btorres@avon.org or call 970-748-4022.