Deputy Sheriff Sean Conlon of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office visited the club this week to share information about the Citizen's Academy and other aspects of his department's work.
The Sheriff's Office has hosted its Citizen's Academy for a number of years, with Deputy Conlon serving as its current coordinator. Interested citizens can apply for participation starting in October (look for posts on the department's Facebook page), with 10 Thursday gatherings taking place from January to March (when "graduation ceremonies" are held). To participate in the free program, individuals must be 21 or older and residents of DeKalb County. Academy cohorts are typically limited to no more than 35 participants, but the Sheriff's Office does maintain a waiting list for those interested.
The Citizen's Academy involves different topics or activities each week to better understand the work of the Sheriff's Department, such as:
- Presentation by Sheriff Andy Sullivan
- Explanation of the department's auxiliary members
- Tour of the DeKalb County Courthouse
- Tour of the DeKalb County Jail (built in 2018)
- Review of roadway crash data and procedures
- Review of DUI enforcement
- Tour of the communications division
- Mock traffic stops
The Sheriff's Office currently has 16 staff members, but also has several individuals completing their training. Fully staffed, the department would have 20 employees, including detectives as well as deputies assigned to the courthouse. As patience is a valuable skill for a deputy, many deputies previously worked in the jail where their patience was tested regularly by inmates wishing to argue. Deputies also partner with mental health professionals who often work with local police departments as well.