PRESS RELEASE

(8-11-26) Sheriff Doug Timmerman would like to announce that the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting their 2026 Citizen’s Academy from October to November of 2026.  This will be the 10th Citizen’s Academy to be offered by the Sheriff’s Office.  

The academy allows citizens from Mercer County to obtain a “behind the scenes” look at their Sheriff’s Office.  Students will attend informative classes explaining each of the different divisions that make up the Sheriff’s Office and how they work together to keep Mercer County safe.  They will get to interact with numerous members of the office, take part in tours of the facility, and get to be involved in “hands on” demonstrations of the equipment used by our employees.   The student will also be given the opportunity to “job shadow” with several employees in differing areas of the Sheriff’s Office.  Sheriff Timmerman is looking forward to providing an overview of what our office does on a day-to-day basis.

There have been (107) students graduate from the Citizen’s Academy since its introduction in 2013.  These students come from many differing backgrounds and geographic areas of the county.  The class is open to residents of Mercer County who are 18 years of age or older.  A background check is required, and class space is limited.

The 2026 Citizen’s Academy will begin on October 13, 2026, and culminate on November 4, 2026.  The sessions will be held 2-3 times a week for a 4-week period.  Most of the classes will be held in the evening for 3 hours a night, starting at 6pm.  Interested parties may pick up an application and preliminary class syllabus at the Sheriff’s Office during business hours, or they may download the information from our web site at – https: www.mercercountysheriffohio.gov

Completed applications need to be returned to the Sheriff’s Office by September 11, 2026.  If anyone has any questions or wants additional information, they can check our web site or they may contact Academy Coordinator, Capt. Chad Fortkamp at (419) 586-7724 or chad.fortkamp@mercercountysheriffohio.gov.