Summit County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Skyler Talbot says the citizen academy’s goal is to connect the department with residents in a way that strengthens community ties.
“The citizens academy is a really great way to get people into the office, let them see what we do, how we train, why we do some of the things we do, and give them an opportunity to engage with us outside of, you know, that context where maybe it's an actual investigation, or something like that,” he explained.
The program starts in June and will let residents learn about everything from investigation to SWAT, dispatch and everything in between. It’s modeled on how deputies actually train.
“We're going to take all of that, at the end of the year, we're going to put it into a ‘scenario day.’ You'll essentially get a play cop for the day,” he said. “We're going to put you in a police car — obviously, in a controlled environment — we're going to simulate calls coming in and you having to respond to those calls to kind of give you an idea of what it's like to be a deputy.”
It’s free, but the sheriff’s office asks residents to commit to attending every session.
The program will meet weekly on Tuesdays beginning June 3 through Aug. 5, from 6–9 p.m. There is no meeting July 1, and a special session is set for Saturday, Aug. 2, tentatively from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Applicants must be a citizen, business owner or stakeholder in Summit County, 18 or older, and pass a limited background check.
There are about 30 spots that will be filled on a rolling basis.
Email citizenacademy@summitcountyutah.gov for more information on applying.