The Fayette County Sheriff’s inaugural Citizen Academy is now in its fourth week. Sheriff Barry Babb on Tuesday gave an assessment of the course and its impact on citizens and staff.
Babb said more than two dozen people are participating in the 12-week course. Classes are held on Tuesday nights at the sheriff’s office.
The program is designed to provide citizens with basic information about the law enforcement profession and the daily operations of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
“The ultimate objective is to establish and maintain positive communications and develop partnerships between the community and the sheriff’s office through training and education,” said Babb.
Babb said the most important thing, from the staff perspective, is the feedback trainers are receiving from the participants.
“This is our opportunity to get reactions to the task we undertake every day,” Babb said. “(The participants) didn’t realize all the aspects of what we do and why we do it.”
Babb said he was told by one of those in attendance that each week his respect for “what we do grows and each week he becomes more impressed with our staff.”
Babb assessed the role the sheriff’s office staff are playing in the training and in their wider role in the community.
“We have the finest people around doing this job,” said Babb. “And I can’t say enough about the staff and how they keep pouring themselves into the job.”
The topics at the citizen academy covered include:
•Field Operations/Officer Survival/Mechanics of Arrest
•Criminal investigations/Crime Scene Processing
•Drug Identification/Awareness
•Traffic laws/Traffic Investigation/DUI Investigations
•Juvenile operations
•Internet Crime/Identify Theft
•SWAT Team Operations
•Jail Operations
•Court Operations
•Laser Shot Video Simulation
•Firearms Familiarization
