Goochland Sheriff’s Office promotes 2026 fall Citizens’ Academy enrollment
Goochland’s sheriff’s office is recruiting adults 18 and older for its 11-week fall Citizens’ Academy, a ride-along-heavy look inside county law enforcement.
The Goochland County Sheriff’s Office is promoting enrollment for its 2026 Fall Citizens’ Academy, a public class that gives residents a closer look at how the office works and what deputies do across the county. The academy is built as an 11-week course, held one night a week, with lectures, demonstrations, hands-on scenarios and tours.
The application rules are straightforward and specific. Participants must be at least 18 years old, may not be armed at any time during the academy and must follow any instructions given by a deputy during ride-along activities. Those ride-alongs have long been part of the draw, giving residents a direct view of patrol work and daily operations inside Goochland County’s law-enforcement system.
The sheriff’s office has framed the program as an access point for county residents who want more than a surface view of public safety. A post from the office said Sheriff James Agnew established the Citizens’ Academy 25 years earlier, placing the program’s origin in the mid-1990s. That history matters in Goochland, where the academy has become a recurring part of the sheriff’s public outreach rather than a one-time class.
Past sessions show the program’s continuity. A Fall 2016 class started in mid-August and later wrapped up, while a Fall 2021 class also used the same 11-week format with weekly lectures, demonstrations, hands-on scenarios and tours. Goochland County Economic Development describes the sheriff’s office as running a semi-annual citizens’ academy, indicating the class is typically offered twice a year.
The academy has also been used to broaden engagement beyond patrol and enforcement. The sheriff’s office has pointed to similar education efforts, including its first Chaplain’s Academy, as part of the county’s wider approach to community-facing public safety programs. For residents interested in law enforcement, volunteer service or a future public-safety career, the fall academy is the clearest entry point the sheriff’s office offers.
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