The Sheriff's Auxilary will be providing a tutorial session at the upcoming USAPrepares expo in Lebannon, Missouri  (6-7 April) on how to start a county Sheriff's auxiliary. This will be a nuts and bolts presentation on the type of paperwork needed, staffing requirements, how long you can expect it to take, how to write the mission statement and so forth, with access to additional resources. Each county is unique: one of the primary goals will be for participants to understand what questions were asked in the formation of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Auxiliary and why, as well as where to look for answers. We have been bombarded by people from other counties, including from other states, asking how to get started, so this session will start to fill that need.
The presentation will be geared toward a mixed audience including law enforcement, organizers, and potential volunteers, but focused on people who will be involved, either from the law enforcement or civilian side, in the initial stages of organization. It will consist of a presentation and a long, interactive question and answer session. Pointers will be given to accessing the documents and resources the LCS Auxiliary has already developed as well as requesting access to internal documents by other Auxiliaries intending to reuse them. The schedule is still in flux; please refer directly to the website for the latest schedule information. I will be available at other times throughout the Expo to speak with people as well and I am working on a companion article laying out the steps in detail.
In general, the USAPrepares Expos have been operating for several years now and provide an invaluable resource for community and individual preparedness with representation from vendors, community organizations, and experts. I have been to a wide variety of presentations at past expos including gardening, alternative energy, self-defense, and radio communication. Please consider attending.