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FROM STAFF REPORTS

COLUMBIANA – Those interested in getting a closer look into how the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office works will have an opportunity to do so this fall.

A new session of the Citizen’s Sheriff Academy is set to begin Thursday, Sept. 1.

The 12-week program is designed to help the public better understand the mission, operations and functions of the SCSO, as well as heighten community awareness and improve communications between the SCSO and the communities it serves.

Through presentations and demonstrations from the deputies themselves, participants will learn some of the techniques and resources they use to train for duty, from traffic stops to drug enforcement to tactical team response.

In addition to classroom instruction, participants will experience live scenarios that place them right in the action.

Members of the SCSO Tactical Response Unit will demonstrate situations they are trained to handle.

From the planning stage through execution, class participants will see how they prepare for a mission and why they use the methods and techniques they use.

Course topics include:

• Patrol Division Overview

• Alabama Firearms Laws and Safety Training

• Corrections

• Criminal Investigations

• Drug Task Force

• Laws and the Court System

• Sheriff’s Office Organization and Staffing

• Special Units

• Tactical Response Unit

The course includes 18-plus hours of instruction and meets every Thursday for 12 consecutive weeks from 6:30-9 p.m., and one Saturday session from 8 a.m. to noon, where students will receive basic firearms safety training and will have the opportunity to use the SCSO firearms range.

Participants must be 18 years old or older and live or work in Shelby County.

Due to the nature of the academy and activities presented, all applicants are subject to criminal history background checks, along with driver history checks conducted by the SCSO as a condition for acceptance into the program.

Questions should be directed to Deputy John Baggett at 205-670-6321 or jbaggett@shelbyso.com.

Applications are now being accepted, and seating is limited.

For more information or to register, go to Shelbyso.com/176/Citizen-Training.