Apple Valley, Hesperia stations team up
By Rene Ray De La Cruz
Staff Writer
Two local San Bernardino County Sheriff’s stations will join forces to host the Winter 2014 Citizens Academy at the Town of Apple Valley Conference Center.
The Apple Valley and Hesperia stations will offer the academy early next month to provide information that will assist residents in making their communities a safer place to live and work.
“When our citizens get hands-on training and then see how law enforcement operates, we’ll be able to work together as a team to prevent crime and to keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Karen Hunt, spokeswoman and crime prevention officer for the Apple Valley Station.
During the academy, instructors will cover introduction to law and citations, graffiti and fraud, how 911 calls are processed and prioritized, recognizing and reporting suspicious people and vehicles, being a good witness, drug and gang recognition, and burglary and crime prevention techniques.
Attendees will also take a tour of the dispatch center and learn the techniques for lifting latent fingerprints, which cannot be seen by the naked eye and are caused by the perspiration and other materials that may be on the ridges of the skin.
“We want our citizens to know the limitations that our deputies have when they arrive on scene, that way they can get a proper perspective on how we work,” Hunt said. “Being on the same page is crucial to preventing and solving crimes.”
In November, the stations teamed up in Apple Valley to provide information on how to start a Neighborhood Watch or how to become a Community Watch member.
When Hunt first arrived in Apple Valley after working in Victorville, she found that many of the Neighborhood Watch groups had fallen by the wayside.
After talking with spokeswoman and Crime Prevention Officer Sue Rose at the Hesperia station, Hunt found that both municipalities were facing the same situation.
After meeting with nearly 30 people in November, Hunt and Rose discovered that many of them avoided getting involved in a Neighborhood Watch group because of the mistrust between neighbors.
“Some people didn’t want strangers meeting in their homes, but now we have a centralized and public place to meet,” Hunt said. “And instead of being involved in a group setting, residents can now attend the Citizen’s Academy to get their training.”
The academy is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 4 and 5 at the Conference Center, 14955 Dale Evans Parkway.
To reserve at seat, residents of Apple Valley and Hesperia should call Karen Hunt at 760-240-7400, ext. 7457 or Sue Rose at 760-947-1549.
Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com.