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Randall County Sheriff’s Office launches new police academy


As law enforcement agencies across the nation face staffing shortages, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office is taking proactive steps to address the issue locally. The Sheriff's Office has received approval from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to launch its own police academy, aimed at both training and retaining officers within the community.

Sheriff Chris Forbis explained that the shortage of officers has been one of the driving forces behind this new initiative. "Because we’re short, that’s one of the driving forces," said Forbis. "But one of the other driving forces is that we want to keep the people here to train and to go to work as peace officers in this community." The goal is to cultivate local talent and help keep trained officers in Randall County, where they are already familiar with the community and its residents.

Currently, the only other police academies in the Panhandle are the Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy at Amarillo College and the Amarillo Police Department Academy. However, Forbis noted that traditional academy schedules were not always conducive to the needs of current law enforcement employees. Most academies require an eight-hour class schedule, Monday through Friday, which can be difficult for officers working full-time shifts.

To accommodate this challenge, the Randall County academy will offer a more flexible structure. Classes will be conducted in 12-hour shifts, allowing participants to attend on their days off. This format is designed specifically for members of the Randall County Sheriff’s Office and the Canyon Police Department, both of which are facing staffing shortages of their own.

The academy will provide a basic peace officer course, which requires a minimum of 736 hours of instruction. The Randall County Sheriff’s Office hopes this customized approach will make it easier for current employees to complete their training while maintaining their work schedules.

Sheriff Forbis believes that keeping recruits local is key to better serving the community. "They already know the community, they grew up here. If we can keep them here, they understand what it is to be a citizen here in Randall County and will serve the citizens in a better way," he said.

The academy is set to begin in January 2024, and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting applications. One non-licensed recruit position will be available for individuals from the community who are interested in becoming peace officers. Instruction will be provided by personnel from both the Randall County Sheriff’s Office and the Canyon Police Department.

With local law enforcement agencies facing nationwide staffing shortages, the Randall County Police Academy represents a creative solution designed to address the issue while strengthening ties between officers and the community they protect.

For more information on the academy and how to apply, visit the Randall County Sheriff's Office website.