After receiving an “overwhelming response” to a program that narrows the gap between citizens and law enforcement, Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly recently announced another Citizens Academy this spring.
The Sheriff’s Citizens Academy is designed to acquaint community members with what law enforcement officers deal with on a daily basis. Last year’s success prompted the office to hold another academy in April.
“The response was so overwhelming last time we had to put on another one,” Kelly said. “(The academy) bridges the gap between law enforcement and the community. It clears up a lot of misunderstandings about how we may do something.”
Kelly said many people watch crime shows such as CSI on TV and assume that what they see is what happens with law enforcement.
“People watch CSI and programs like that and they think that’s the way things are actually done.”
The academy is a 10-week program that educates citizens about the Athens County Sheriff’s office and its duties. The program includes instruction from law enforcement officers on various topics including investigations, drug enforcement, criminal law, and regular policing, according to the sheriff’s Facebook page.
The program also includes trips to the South East Ohio Regional Jail and the 911 Center, firearms training, and a ride-along with a law enforcement officer.
Because volunteer law-enforcement officers teach the program, it costs the department nothing, Kelly said.
“(It’s) a cross-section of people in our community that get involved in this program.” Kelly said.
Within a day of the academy’s announcement, 13 people responded, Kelly said, adding that he expects about 20 people to participate.
Last year 15 people participated, including Ohio University administrators, store clerks, senior citizens and a veteran, Kelly said.
“It was very informative for me and my wife,” said Duane Bump, a retired OU administrator who participated in last year’s academy with his wife. “I know that they don’t have a large budget but both of us were really impressed with how sophisticated their office was.”
Bump said that he enjoyed the program immensely because it showed him and his wife how hard the Sheriff’s office works.
“They seem to be taking advantage of every opportunity they could to keep their staff up to date and well-trained,” Bump said. “Really enlightening experience for both of us and I think a lot of people would be very impressed and satisfied with what they’re doing with their resources.”
For Barbara Ley, an 84-year-old Chauncey resident, the best part of the academy was getting a chance to shoot weapons only available to law enforcement.
“We actually shot the guns, we shot the automatics, the glocks, the other weapons that would not be at our disposal normally,” Ley said. “I’ve got a little .25 caliber that I keep here at home but … I learned a lot about what the different weapons law enforcement officers use.”
Ley said she was not your typical citizen, or even grandmother.
“If you think of a grandma buying a glock, that’s me.”
Though she may have different interests than most, Ley said she has recommended the academy to her family and friends, and was very impressed with the academy overall.
“It was just fantastic. I was very happy to have spent 10 weeks going through this academy,” Ley said. “It was well worth every minute of it.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
