Shelby County Sheriff Willis Blackwell has announced that Shelby County citizens are being invited to become associate members of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas. The sheriff says there’s been an increased number of citizens wanting to assist law enforcement officials, and build a strong partnership in the fight against crime, and joining the association would help provide the funding that’s vital to the department’s mission of making our communities safer places to live, work and play. A press release says membership invitations will go out in the mail over the next several weeks, and funding allows the Sheriff’s Association of Texas to provide critical training, technical resources and legislative support on key criminal justice issues to law enforcement officers across the state. The Sheriff’s Association of Texas was founded in 1874, and does not make solicitation by phone.