CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The first graduating class of the Citizens Sheriff’s Academy in Harrison County is scheduled for Thursday evening at the Harrison County Recreation Complex.
Sheriff Robert Matheny said his program was modeled after similar efforts in Wheeling and Clarksburg.
“They were very successful programs, and they brought a lot of awareness to the agencies and a lot of communication between the agencies and the citizens,” Matheny said. “And that was a big reason I wanted to bring it to Harrison County.”
Matheny said about 15 students will graduate from the program that provided them with an overview of how the department works. These opportunities are with officers at the street level and support staff that serve as eyes during responses.
“This is a rare opportunity for the citizens to get some one-on-one time with the worker bees of the agency as well as the command staff and support people,” Matheny said.
Of the 15 graduates, Matheny said some will become members of the Citizens Sheriff’s Academy Alumni Association, which meets periodically to support the department, and others will go on to serve as reserve deputies.
“They carry out a lot of responsibilities, including our Project Lifesaver Program, traffic control for a lot of our events, and prisoner transport,” Matheny said. “There is an array of things the reserves do.”
The keynote speaker at graduation will be Jeff Sandy. Sandy retired as the Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety in July 2023.
“We’re very excited that former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeff Sandy will be our keynote speaker, and we’ll have some guests in attendance,” Matheny said. “It’s our way of recognizing those who have participated.”
The next opportunity for the public will be next spring.
“The public sometimes doesn’t get to see or interact with those behind-the-scenes people to see what keeps us running and what makes things happen,” Matheny said. “So, this is a bird’s eye view that a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to take.”