SUMTER, S.C. — The first Citizens Academy of the year begins tonight at the Sumter County Sheriff's Office. The free six-week course gives attendees a behind-the-scenes look at four weeks of police academy training.
Sumter resident Regina Tucker participated in the class last fall.
"It was really interesting and a lot of fun. We learn a lot," Tucker shared.
For her, it was a way for the department to connect with community members.
"It shows that they are concerned and they are part of the community and they want to show the community that we are part of you, we are here for you, we’re here for each other," Tucker said about the message she got out of the course.
The academy classes teach residents about the foundational aspects from constitutional rights to conducting traffic stops and building searches. Through it all, Lt. Luke Hall says the goal is to inform.
"A lot of people don’t know anything about the criminal justice system - just what they see on television or what they see on everyday news - so this goes a little deeper into it," Hall said. "That’s what we try to show the citizens, so they can go out there and talk to people when they’re having regular conversations, they’ll know what to say. ‘Well this is the reason they're doing that."
Not only is it giving citizens a behind the scenes look into the job, but Hall says it also builds trust with the community.
"So they know more about what we’re doing and why we’re doing that, and I think that’s important," Hall explained.
This is something that Tucker thought was helpful.
"When people understand what the next person is going through as they can walk in their shoes, it does give you an understanding," she said. "It gives them understanding of when an officer comes to a house, what they may be experiencing, because we always see from the inside of the person who calls the officer, but you have to understand what they are seeing, experiencing, their environment. So it brings you into their environment."
The academy meets on Tuesday and Thursday nights and is expected to go until the end of December. Although classes have begun for this year, you can find the application here.