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After seven weeks of interactive classes, 38 Santa Barbara County residents graduated yesterday, May 18, 2019, from the South County Citizen’s Academy. The participants ranged in age and came from all walks of life. The Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the UCSB Police Department and the City of Goleta to put on the free program.

The Citizen’s Academy is designed to give the public an inside look at just some of what law enforcement does on a daily basis to keep its community members safe. During the course of the program, the participants toured the jail, fired a handgun, took interactive classes in active shooter training, use of force, search and seizure law, building searches and arrest and control, just to name a few.

On Saturday, the participants finished their last class, a K-9 demonstration, at the Sheriff’s Training Bureau. Then, they received their certificates of completion at a graduation ceremony and celebratory BBQ attended by family and friends of the graduates, their instructors and past Citizen Academy graduates. At the ceremony, the crowd applauded each graduate as Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Craig Bonner presented them with their certificate of completion.

Upon completion of the Citizen’s Academy, the graduates agreed it was an eye-opening experience and they walked feeling better prepared to look out for their safety and the safety of others.

To find out more about our Citizen’s Academy, go to our website at https://www.sbsheriff.org/about-us/community-outreach/citizens-academy/

The first photo was taken at the Citizen’s Academy Graduation Ceremony held yesterday at the Sheriff’s Training Bureau. The second photo was taken last week during the Firearms Instruction Class.