FAQ

The BCSO Citizens’ Academy gives you the chance to learn about — and gain a better appreciation for — the challenges and accomplishments of your Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

The goal is to create a safer community through a better understanding and partnership between Benton County residents and the Sheriff’s Office. The Citizens’ Academy does not train citizens as law enforcement personnel or give them law enforcement authority of any kind.

You will explore a wide range of topics — from investigations to marine patrol, and from parole and probation to jail operations.

You will also tour the Sheriff’s Office and the Benton County Jail, take a jet boat ride, and see a patrol K9 demonstration, along with several other demonstrations and tours. Classes combine instruction, discussion, and hands-on participation.

Participants are often full of questions and present a positive atmosphere. By the end of class, many participants have made new friends.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy is offered in the fall, usually in September and October. There are eight Tuesday evening sessions from 6pm – 9pm and two Saturday sessions from 8:30a – 2:15p. Specific dates will be found in the current application and are usually announced in the Spring.

Specific dates are determined in March. Sessions start the first Tuesday following Labor Day in September and run for 8 weeks ending in mid/late October. The two Saturday session will take place from 8:30am until about 2:15pm.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) invites applications from community members of all ethnic, cultural and civic groups. Both men and women are encouraged to apply and there are no age restrictions for adults.

Applicants between the ages of 14 and 17 must have a signed consent from a parent or legal guardian and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The Academy is geared toward adults and we do not accept those under age 14.

As part of the application process, you must agree to authorize the BCSO to conduct a criminal history check. Felony convictions or other circumstances that would make participation inappropriate may be cause for denial of admission.

Most instructors are sworn Benton County Sheriff’s Office Deputies who teach in their area of expertise. Other instructors work with the Sheriff’s Office as employees, volunteers, or law enforcement partner agencies.

The first class, and the majority of classes, will meet at the Law Enforcement Building (LEB) Police Conference Room (PCR – first floor), 180 NW 5th Street, Corvallis.

But we’ll also be at the Crystal Lakes boat docks.

There are no formal graduation requirements. The Sheriff’s Office asks that you attend at least 8 of the 10 sessions.

At this time no colleges or universities are offering credits.

Although many Citizens’ Academy participants choose to volunteer with the Sheriff’s Office after their Academy experience, there is no requirement to do so. We hope that you will share your experiences and what you learn with your neighbors and friends.

It’s free! The Benton County Sheriff’s Office charges no fee for attending. This reflects the BCSO’s commitment to including the broadest range of community members as participants.

Applications are available at the end of June of each year. To apply, complete the Citizens’ Academy Application and submit it to the Sheriff’s Office using one of the options below.

Option 1 — Email: Send your signed application to the email address listed on the application form.

Option 2 — Mail or Drop Off:

Benton County Sheriff’s Office
ATTN: Citizens’ Academy
180 NW 5th Street Corvallis, OR 97330

After you submit your application, the BCSO runs a background check beginning the first week of August. You will then receive confirmation that your application has been accepted. Applications submitted in August may take up to one week to confirm.

For more information about the BCSO Citizens’ Academy, contact:

Benton County Sheriff’s Office
ATTN: Citizens’ Academy
180 NW 5th Street
Corvallis, OR 97330
541-766-6858

During emergencies that may affect life safety, public safety officials will send alerts about imminent threats (e.g., evacuation notices, hazardous materials incidents, severe weather). Benton County may also send important non-life-safety messages—such as Red Flag Warnings or significant weather updates—via email.

Linn-Benton ALERT may be used for a variety of situations, including wildfire evacuations, flooding or dam incidents, hazardous materials spills, law enforcement emergencies, severe weather warnings, and, when appropriate, missing or endangered persons notices.

Alerts typically include:

• What the emergency is
• Who is affected
• Protective actions (e.g., “evacuate,” “shelter in place”)
• Where to find more information
  Some alerts request confirmation to ensure you received the message.

Yes—but only if you create an Everbridge Community Profile and add your cell phone and other preferred contact methods to the alerting system you are subscribed to (Linn-Benton ALERT is the alerting system for both Linn and Benton counties).

Most people rely on cell phones—not landlines.
If you don’t sign up, you may not receive critical, time-sensitive notifications. Signing up ensures you receive alerts wherever you are.

The system is address-based, meaning alerts are sent to people who live, work, or have stored locations within the impacted area. Choose to receive alerts on cell phones, text messages, emails, work phones, TTY devices, and more by creating an Everbridge Community Profile and subscribing to your local alerting system (Linn-Benton ALERT is the local alerting system used by both Linn and Benton counties).

There is no cost to register.
Standard call or text messaging rates may apply, depending on your cell phone plan.

Yes. Your contact information is kept confidential and is used only for emergency notification purposes.

Click the sign-up link to create your Everbridge Community Profile, add contact information, and subscribe to the alerting system you want to receive alerts for (Linn-Benton ALERT is the alerting system for both Linn and Benton counties).

Please email your question to the support e-mail for your county:

For Benton County: emergencymanagement@bentoncountyor.gov

For Linn County: help@linnsheriff.org

• A Watch means that there is potential for the event to occur. No action needs to be taken when watches are issued, however community members should keep up to date in case the Watch becomes a Warning.
• An Advisory means that the event is either imminent or occurring, however it is less severe than a Warning. The event is a public inconvenience and creates a general hazard.
• A Warning means that the event is either imminent or occurring. Community members should be prepared to take immediate protective action.

No. If you feel unsafe, leave. Conditions can change quickly, and you do not need to wait for an official evacuation notice.

No. You may receive one level and then another, or you may receive a Level 3 notice with little or no warning. Follow the instructions in the most recent official message.

Check the address, zone, or map included with the official evacuation message. Use the evacuation map links provided in the message, or check the Stay Informed page because evacuation boundaries may change.

Leave early: this includes people with medical, mobility, access, or transportation needs; families with young children; older adults; and anyone moving pets or livestock. At Level 2, people who need extra time should leave rather than wait for another notice.

Make a transportation plan before an emergency. Ask family, friends, neighbors, caregivers, or service providers who may be able to help.

During an emergency:

Call 911 only when there is an immediate threat to life or safety.

Visit the Stay Informed page for current transportation information.

Call the Benton County Call Center if it has been activated.

Identify animal-friendly places before an emergency. If you have livestock, move them early whenever possible.

During an emergency, check the Stay Informed page and Benton County Sheriff’s Office social media for shelter and animal-resource information.

During an emergency, check your Linn-Benton ALERT message for road closures and alternate routes. Updates will also be posted on the Stay Informed page and Benton County Sheriff’s Office social media.

Check TripCheck for state highway conditions. Planning maps do not show current road conditions. Never assume a route shown on a map is open.

Return only after officials announce that the area is safe. Continue to watch Linn-Benton ALERT and the Stay Informed page for re-entry information.

The Everbridge Community page is used to link other subscriptions you may have in other jurisdictions (e.g. Deschutes County, Marion County, Lincoln County, etc.). If you successfully log in to Everbridge Community, and it shows you are subscribed to Linn-Benton ALERT, then you have an account with us. If you click on the Linn-Benton ALERT subscription link, it will take you to your member portal with Benton County and you can change, edit, and confirm your contact information, contact methods, etc. from there.

You can get credible information from local public safety agency Facebook pages, including the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. You can also view information at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office website, which include media releases, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management “Stay Informed” webpage.  Only incidents that involve Emergency Management will be shared on the “Stay Informed” page.