After seven weeks of classes, the Santa Barbara County Citizens Academy has 34 new graduates.
The participants were between 18 to 45 years old.
The Citizen’s Academy is designed to give people an inside look at what law enforcement does on a daily basis to keep its citizens safe.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said during the course of the program participants toured the jail, fired a handgun, took active shooter training and learned about search and seizure law. Some people in the program want to pursue a career in law enforcement or public safety.
After completing the Citizen’s Academy some people said it was an eye-opening experience.
Robin Brown survived the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017 he said the program made him more aware of his surroundings.
“I wanted to learn how to respond to situations like that in the future since they tend to be growing in frequency,” Brown said. “By participating, I’ve been able to grow stronger and more aware of my surroundings.”
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office worked with the University of California Santa Barbara Police Department and the City of Goleta to put on the free program.
