Citizenā€™s Academy Part V

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True-crime research, novel writing research, and updates.

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Robin Lyons, Author websiteBLOG POST #240: This week, Iā€™m sharing my research and experience from when I attended my local Sheriff Departmentā€™s Citizenā€™s Academy. The course ran one night each week for seventeen weeks. In this post, Iā€™ll talk about Patrol Functions.

But, first, thereā€™s a lot of turmoil regarding law enforcement, police brutality, racism, defunding the police, etc.ā€”Iā€™m not addressing any of that in this post. I certainly hope you donā€™t read my posts for my personal and political opinions, youā€™d be disappointed. Read More

Citizen’s Academy Part IV

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True-crime research, novel writing research, and updates.

***READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED***

BLOG POST #230:Ā Have you been inside a jail? Not necessarily a jail cell, but inside a facility? The tour inside my local jail was unnerving.

Years ago, I visited someone in jail. Follow this color line then this color line, and then that color line, sit down at the phone while you wait for the prisoner to be brought to the other side of the glass partition. Read More

Behind-the-Scene: Whatā€™s in a Name?

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True-crime research, novel writing research, and updates.

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BLOG POST #228: This week, Iā€™m sharing some behind-the-scene scoop on research and name selection.

Whether youā€™re writing a series or a solo novel, regardless of the genre, you must build a world in which the characters live.

For the School Marshal series, I knew I wanted the city to geographically be in the region where I live but have fictitious names. Read More

Citizenā€™s Academy Part III

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True-crime research, novel writing research, and updates.

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Robin Lyons, Author websiteBLOG POST #225:Ā I have much respect for those who are able work in a 911 call center. It truly takes a special person to be a 911 operator. During this deadly pandemic, I’m sure the Com Centers are overwhelmed.

The tour of the communications center ā€˜Com Centerā€™ was brief. We were only allowed to view the room from the doorway. The large, dark, windowless room had numerous computer stationsā€”each with two or more monitors. Read More

Citizenā€™s Academy Part II

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Posts about real school tragedy, crime, and/or events can be upsetting.

Robin Lyons, author websiteBLOG POST #215: If youā€™re curious about how law enforcement functions, then you should sign up for a citizenā€™s academy. And if youā€™re an author who writes scenes containing any police procedures, you also should sign up for a citizenā€™s academy. Here’s why:

As I said in post 209, most law enforcement agencies have a Citizenā€™s Academy. Call your local police or sheriff department and ask them. I attended my local sheriff departmentā€™s Citizen Academy in 2013. It was a free sixteen-week course held one evening each week, plus one ride-along with a deputy. Read More