Lexington sheriff holding citizens academy

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The sheriff’s department in Lexington County is accepting applications for the next class of its citizens academy.

Sheriff James Metts says the 11-week class gets started August 9 and wraps up with graduation on October 25.

Metts started the citizens academy in 1996 to help educate the county’s residents about how the sheriff’s department works.

Participants learn how dispatchers get deputies, fire and EMS personnel to people who have called for help.

A detective who investigates gang activity is also scheduled to tell people how they can work with law officers to report gang activity in Lexington County.

And there is also a presentation on training the department does in case it needs to work with other public safety agencies to respond to a terrorist attack.