ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency wants your help! It's recruiting people to join its very first Citizens Academy.
The community-focused course is designed to help share the DEA's mission and efforts to reduce the demand for drugs.
Michael Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis Division, joined Today in St. Louis Weekend Edition. His division serves Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois.
"Our mission is to go after those drug traffickers and organizations who are trafficking illicit drugs throughout our area of operations, and it's ever so important these days with so many people dying from overdose deaths and poisonings," he said.
Davis said the Citizens Academy is a training program designed for citizens to learn about the DEA's critical mission.
"They will be learning the Controlled Substances Act; they'll learn our raids and search warrants planning and procedures. Just a whole list of things, so that they can understand what we do and why we do it. It'll definitely be rewarding," he said.
Other course topics include DEA laboratory operations, investigative trends, prescription drug diversion and abuse, law enforcement partnerships, demand reduction efforts, and Operation Engage, a community outreach initiative, according to a press release.
"This is so that they can come in and learn exactly what we do, and again, why we do it. Also, so that they can get out and just kind of let their friends and families know exactly what law enforcement does and how we're trying to keep the community safe," Davis said.
Potential candidates the DEA is looking for includes community leaders of all types from business to civil to religious to journalists. You must be 21 years of age, have no prior felony convictions, live or work in the St. Louis region, pass a background check, and be able to attend all of the training sessions.
Five two-hour sessions will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. The deadline to submit the application is Friday, Sept. 20.
If you have any questions or want to receive application materials reach out to Guy Gomez, Community Outreach Specialist, at guy.a.gomez@dea.gov.