The Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy will be offering a “1A Audits / United States Constitution Class” to be held at the Academy on February 12, 2024. This class is a joint collaboration between the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.

Course Description:

Recorded interactions with police spread quickly on social media. The growth of “First Amendment Auditors”—individuals who specifically film on public property and police stations to test the rights to film in a public space—has forced some police departments to review how to respond to First Amendment audits. Many of these audits are uneventful, but some encounters have escalated dramatically, resulting in arrests and litigation. How will your agency and officers react to this type of contact?

This eight-hour 1A Audits/Constitution Class focuses on dealing effectively with 1A auditors while providing a refresher on key, but often forgotten, foundations of the United State Constitution.

Tuition: Free to member agencies: $100 for non-member agencies

In-service: 4 Legal / 4 Career Development Hours will be awarded.

Registration:  Member agencies register through TRACER, non-member agencies should complete a registration form and forward to the academy via e-mail jnash@svcjta.com.

Dress Code: Business casual. No blue jeans, t-shirts or tennis shoes.