Ride-Along-program
There’s no better way than to see it for yourself.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office offers civilians the opportunity to ride along with a Sworn Deputy in our Agency. Civilians riding with on-duty deputies are afforded the opportunity to gain a real life perspective of law enforcement.
Citizens go on ride-alongs for various reasons. These include interest in a future career in law enforcement, personal interest in law enforcement, journalists wishing to write reports, and those interested in community relations. Regardless of the reason, all citizens who meet the department’s eligibility requirements are generally welcome on a ride-along.
Guidelines for Civilian Rode-Along Program
We highly encourage citizens to come out and see what we do, first hand. The following guidelines will be met prior to any civilian being allowed to participate in the program:
Age
At least eighteen (18) years of age, Completion of Civilian Observer Application Packet, No felony convictions or pending felony charges
Background
Have not committed any violation involving moral turpitude as defined in the Criminal Justice Standards and Training rules.No pending misdemeanor charges or convictions of misdemeanors involving moral turpitude or Domestic Violence
Fingerprints
Fingerprinting and a background check is required.
testing
An online CJIS test which is a State requirement.
To Apply..
To begin the application process for your ride along,
please contact your nearest district office.
Due to CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Systems) requirements and privacy concerns, anyone requesting permission to participate in the Sheriff’s Office Civilian Rider Program must complete CJIS online Security Awareness Training through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This training is to ensure observers are aware of the types and proper handling of protected and confidential information they may encounter while with law enforcement. All observers must complete this training prior to being allowed to ride with law enforcement, including those who were authorized prior to these requirements. Once the application is received by our office, a preliminary background and fingerprint check will be conducted. Once the check is completed, you will be contacted by email with instructions on how to complete the CJIS training and test. Expect the training and test to take 1 to 2 hours. After you provide the Sheriff’s Office with proof of successful completion of the training, you will be entered into the active rider list and authorized to participate in ride-a-longs. The Sheriff’s Office apologizes for any inconvenience this process may cause, but it is necessary to protect the privacy of citizens.