Shooting at the gun range and riding a shift with a sheriff’s deputy are features of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office’s Sheriff’s Citizen Academy.
The free academy is designed to allow Rutherford County citizens an interactive perspective of the sheriff’s office including patrol, investigations, detention, school resource officers and specialized programs, said Deputy Greg Dotson who coordinates the academy. Citizens will take field trips to the Judicial Building, Juvenile Detention and the Emergency Medical Services’ Special Operations Response Team building.
Classes will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Thursday beginning Jan. 19 at the sheriff’s office. Citizens may register at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or at the sheriff’s office at 940 New Salem Highway. The academy is offered in the spring and fall.
Citizen Tim Oliver graduated from the fall 33rd academy class in November.
“My experience was an enlightening one,” Oliver said. “I have been around and dealt with law enforcement for several years and learned more than I would have dreamed through the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy. The classes were well planned and kept everyone interested.
“The main concept I learned is that our county is made up of many layers and they all have to work together to accomplish the same goal of a safer enjoyable place to live,” Oliver said.
Oliver recommended the class. Citizens will learn about the lives that go into protecting everyone.
“Sheriff Arnold has done a great job of trying to get our community involved and I think this is a great way to do it,” Oliver said. “I have spoken with several of my family members that live in the county and asked them to plan on attending the next class.”
For more information, contact Dotson at 904-3033.