SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION

The Special Operations Division falls under the command of the Operations Bureau and consists of the School Resource Officer Section, Community Outreach Section, and Crisis Intervention Team. The S.R.O. Section provides deputies to Seasonal Units during non-school days, such as the Marine Patrol Unit and the Bike Patrol Unit. The Community Outreach Section consists of the Community Relations Unit, Reserve Deputy Program, Volunteer Unit, and Incident Response Team.

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Unit falls under the Operations Bureau. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working closely with the Forsyth County Board of Education and School Safety Department to maximize the safety of our most valuable treasure, our youth.

Sheriff Freeman and the Board of Education have developed a plan to staff a minimum of one SRO at each public school campus in Forsyth County. School resource officers protect over 54,000 students, plus staff, within 43 school campuses. The SRO deputies provide direct services to the schools; which include campus safety inspections, classroom presentations, criminal investigations, student and parent conferences, along with a variety of other activities including traditional law enforcement duties and security.

SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE

In early 2018, Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bearden and Forsyth County Sheriff Freeman announced that they were commissioning a School Safety Task Force with the objective of completing a comprehensive safety assessment of all Forsyth County school campuses and review of possible security improvements. The task force is led by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s Major Perkins and includes additional FCSO Deputies, staff from Forsyth County Schools, as well as representatives from the Forsyth County Fire Department and Forsyth County Emergency Management Agency.

Upon the inception of the School Safety Task Force, they took several weeks to complete a review of existing policies and conducted physical surveys of all Forsyth County public school campuses. They engaged the community on ideas and concerns as they reviewed security needs. The task force prepared a thorough report of their findings and recommended potential safety improvements. This report was presented to both Sheriff Freeman and Dr. Bearden, thus aiding decisions made on what steps can be taken to further ensure the safety of our children and school staff. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is committed to securing the safety of our schools and will continue to have enhanced presence on all campuses.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about the School Resource Officer Program, please contact:

Lieutenant Noah Sprague at NTSprague@forsythco.com

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RESERVE DEPUTIES & VOLUNTEERS

At the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, we take pride in the men and women dedicated to keeping the citizens of Forsyth County safe every day. We also pride ourselves in those that desire to help in this endeavor without receiving anything in return. FCSO is fortunate to have numerous volunteers and reserve Deputies that drop everything when called upon to serve however needed.

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Reserve Deputies are located all across the county. They hold regular jobs within the community and they have a strong desire to contribute something back to the community. A unique feature of these people is the fact that they volunteer their spare time to the Sheriff's Office.

Not everyone is cut out for this kind of involvement so all of us should be proud to have individuals who live beside us and are capable of this type of volunteerism. Individual candidates must pass the same qualifications and training as full-time officers in order to be approved. If qualified, you will become part of the unique group a volunteer Peace Officers that provide a variety of public service functions to enhance and supplement the day to day activities of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

BECOME A RESERVE DEPUTY

GET INVOLVED!

Unit charter

Augment the following Forsyth County sheriffs office divisions in the execution of their duties with special attention to:

Uniform patrol division
Detention facility
Court services for magistrate, state and superior court security
Warrants and civil process
Communications
Respond to our special callouts
Searching for missing persons, escaped/ fleeing prisoners/ suspects
Disasters- plane crashes, major fires, gas leaks, power outages, storm damage, etc.

Training

Training for reserve deputy’s includes:

Department required in-service training
Twice a year firearms requalification
Classroom instruction
Field training officer program

Perspective applicants

Each Reserve Unit member undergoes the same stringent screening process as regular full-time Deputies to ensure that only the most qualified personnel are entrusted with the publics' safety.

The Reserve Unit donates its resources and talents to the citizens of Forsyth County by devoting many hours of personal service towards enhancing the services and operations of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

Entry requirements

The following requirements must be met and/or successfully completed:

Screening interviews
Entry-level test
Background check
Polygraph exam
Psychological exam
Drug test
Reserve Unit board approval
Ability to work a minimum of 10+ hours per month

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office welcomes volunteers from our community. Our volunteers are vital to the day-to-day operations that take place in each of our offices. We have many volunteer opportunities, which include day to day volunteers, our Citizens Helping In Policing (CHIP) Unit, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team program teaches residents of Forsyth County how to prepare for and assist first responders in the event of a natural (tornado, earthquake, major winter storm) or man-made disaster. CERT students receive training in disaster preparedness, first aid, fire safety, and urban and rural search and rescue. After the basic CERT training class, students are encouraged to attend monthly training classes and to assist with community events throughout the year. Before being accepted into the CERT Program, students must complete an application packet and submit to a criminal background check.

CITIZENS HELPING IN POLICING (CHIP)

The mission of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Helping In Policing (CHIP) is to help improve the quality of life for Forsyth County residents and visitors by providing a visible presence and by observing and reporting suspicious activities. This mission is accomplished through a collaborative partnership with the residents of Forsyth County and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The CHIP team members help the Sheriff’s Office and the community in many ways. This includes assisting with special events, traffic direction, residential and business checks, park patrol, and other types of support functions. Prior to being accepted into the CHIP Program and attending the basic CHIP training class, CHIP applicants must complete either the CERT training class, Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, or be a retired Law Enforcement Officer. CHIP applicants must be 21 years of age, attend an in-person interview, complete the CHIP application packet, and submit to a criminal background check, and drug screen prior to being accepted.

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE (ARES)

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service Team is a trained, FCC-licensed group of Ham radio operators available to provide emergency communications for the County’s Public Safety Organizations in the event of a localized or widespread communication failure. ARES Team members also provide communications for CERT Teams during community events throughout the year. Those interested in joining the ARES team must hold a valid Ham Radio license. ARES members are encouraged to attend monthly training classes and assist with community events throughout the year. Before being accepted into the ARES Program, students must complete an application packet and submit to a criminal background check.

CREDENTIALED ADMINISTRATIVE

The Credentialed Administrative Volunteer Unit is a group of men and women who assist with ‘behind the scenes’ clerical duties and/or manage our interoffice mail delivery. Prior to being accepted into the CHIP Program and attending the basic CHIP training class, CHIP applicants must complete either the CERT training class, Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, or be a retired Law Enforcement Officer. CHIP applicants must be 21 years of age, attend an in-person interview, complete the CHIP application packet, and submit to a criminal background check, and drug screen prior to being accepted.

CIVILIAN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

The volunteer Civilian Criminal Investigation Unit is a group of men and women who assist Detectives with ‘behind the scenes’ clerical duties specific to Investigations. Prior to being accepted into the Volunteer Civilian Criminal Investigation Division Unit you must complete either the CERT training class, Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, or be a retired Law Enforcement Officer. Civilian Criminal Investigation Division Unit applicants must be 21 years of age, attend an in-person interview, complete the Civilian Criminal Investigation Unit application packet, and submit to a criminal background check, and drug screen prior to being accepted.