Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Taking Applications for 5th Citizens’ Academy
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is currently taking applications for its 5th Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy. If you’ve ever wondered what the Sheriff’s Office does and how its employees perform their responsibilities, this is an opportunity to learn about it firsthand. The WCSO will be taking applications through Sept. 8, 2015 if you are interested in getting into a hands-on class.
Applications are currently being accepted for the 10-week course that meets from 6-9 p.m. every Tuesday at the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office located at 105 E. High St., Lebanon, TN. All applicants must pass a background check in order to attend.
There are no minimum physical requirements, just a desire to learn more about law enforcement and get exposure to day-to-day aspects of the many facets involved in enforcing the law and assisting fellow citizens. The class is designed not only for those who are considering a career in law enforcement but for anyone who wants to know through personal experience how the Office and its personnel function.
“This class helps citizens better understand what the Sheriff’s Office does, why and how its staff operate the Office for maximum efficiency and to assist our fellow citizens,” said Wilson County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Lanier. “It helps foster a better understanding, and hopefully, a more positive outlook with how the Sheriff’s Office performs its responsibilities. This course will show citizens how different the Sheriff’s Office is from the other law enforcement offices in Wilson County and how much more responsibility the Office has. For instance, the Sheriff’s Office operates the jail whereas other law enforcement agencies in Wilson County do not have that function.”
Some of the classes include topics such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, domestic violence, patrol procedures, Schools Resource Officers, Civil and Criminal Warrants, DUI awareness, handcuffing procedures and other law enforcement functions. The course also includes hands-on activities, field trips such as a three-hour jail tour, a visit to the firing range, lectures by Communications dispatchers, a representative from the District Attorney’s Office, demonstrations in boating safety and the Office’s Special Response Team among other activities.
“Wilson County citizens can benefit greatly from this program, said Sam Shallenberger, a past graduate of the Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy and currently President of the Academy Alumni Association. “The Sheriff, his deputies and his staff have built a curriculum that helps each of us understand how the department serves the community through the enforcement activity we all see, in addition to the tremendous responsibilities of the jail, courts, and process service functions we might otherwise never see. Each week has been crafted to present functions of the department in a way that is informative and entertaining. Participants learn the role of each law enforcement entity in the county, and are exposed to several opportunities to volunteer and support those entities. By joining the Alumni Association after graduation, interested participants can choose to help the Sheriff host future classes which will educate more community members.”
Sheriff Robert Bryan started the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy three years ago to offer the community and business people a voluntary opportunity to get a better understanding of and full exposure to the Sheriff’s Office. The upcoming fifth class is limited to 25 citizens. To apply, contact Elizabeth Anderson at wcso95.org or call at 615-444-1412, ext. 255.