By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A Shelby County Sheriff’s Department deputy will be giving local residents tips on protecting themselves and staying aware in nearly every situation during a series of free classes at the Salvation Army in Alabaster.

The classes, which are open to men, women and children, will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. every other Tuesday beginning on March 13 at the Salvation Army building at 108 Plaza Circle off Alabama 119. Sheriff’s deputy David Galutsa, who has been providing self-defense training for other deputies and corrections officers for more than 16 years, will lead the classes.

“He comes at it from a common-sense standpoint,” Salvation Army Capt. Jenny Bailey said of Galutsa. “We just wanted to offer something to help people stay safe.”

During the class, Galutsa will focus on more than “just fighting,” Bailey said.

“It’s anything from parking in a well-lit area, not talking on the cell phone while you’re walking across the parking lot, things like that. All that goes into being safe,” Bailey said. “It won’t be so much fighting as much as it will be about protecting yourself, running away from danger and keeping your eyes open to your surroundings.”

After March 13, the Salvation Army will hold the classes on March 27, April 10, April 24 and May 8 beginning at 6 p.m.

“With the world we live in, if we open our eyes and look around, we could deter a lot of the things that happen,” Bailey said.

For more information, call Bailey at 663-7105, or email jenny_bailey@uss.salvationarmy.org.