Alabama Sheriff’s Office Hosts Youth Academy, Shows Teens Inside Police, Jail

By David Gambino
Decatur Daily, Alabama.

HARTSELLE, Alabama — A group of teens got a taste of what it’s like to be a Morgan County sheriff’s deputy this week during the first-ever Youth Sheriff’s Academy. The hands-on experience gave them new interests, skills and an appreciation for the work of local law enforcement officers.

“The first day was really fun,” said Lily Cocke, 15. “We had to pull over a vehicle. We set it up like a real traffic stop and had to work through it. We had to go down the Tennessee River in a lifeboat and stuff like that. There were so many different things; it’s hard to pick a favorite.”

Cocke took notes Thursday as MCSO SWAT team operators explained some of their gear — including gas masks, night-vision goggles, a firearm and a drone — before demonstrating how to safely clear a building. She took so many notes this week that she earned the nickname “Notes” among her peers.

“Seeing the kids enjoy it and get something out of it” was especially rewarding for academy instructors, said MCSO spokesman Mike Swafford.

“That’s what this whole thing is about,” he said. “We give them insight into why we do what we do, but then we let them do something practical to understand how we do it.”

Swafford said plans for the academy were in the works as early as 2019, but those plans were thwarted by COVID. Ultimately, the idea was revisited and, Swafford said, “the stars aligned.”

Tom Fredricks and the Hartselle Christian Church Charitable Trust Fund donated $10,000 to make the academy possible. Swafford said the Alabama Sons of Liberty Riders, a motorcycle riding group, also helped with funding.

Thirteen-year-old Drake Westmoreland said he is interested in a career in law enforcement.

“I thought this show would be cool. You get to see the jail and see how some of the sheriff’s department departments operate,” he said.

Westmoreland and several others among the nearly 20 attendees said the visit to the Morgan County Jail was their favorite part of the week.

“I read a lot of crime books, I watch a lot of crime shows and so on,” Cocke said. “When we went to the prison, it was completely different than what people portrayed, especially on TV, and it changed your perspective a lot. If you watched The Green Mile, they portrayed it as a lot of prison guards who were mean and all that, but they cared more about the safety of the prisoners than they did about their own safety.”

Academy students even got to sample prison food, a plate of sausage, cornbread, rice and okra. Cocke and her friend Ella Turney, 16, expected a “disgusting” meal based on pop culture depictions. Instead, they said “like 94 percent” of the class actually liked it.

Turney said she enrolled in the academy because Cocke encouraged her to do so.

“At first I thought it would just be cool,” she said, “and now I’m like, I’m interested in it and stuff. There’s a lot of different jobs I could do. I’d probably like to be a K9 or narcotics.”

Swafford’s son, Brennan Swafford, 14, said he enjoys visiting the prison because it’s something most people don’t usually see.

“And then you get to understand how it works, what the cells look like, what privileges some of them have,” he said. “I also liked how the K9 units work and what they do, and how they train them and what different dogs they use for different things.”

Brennan Swafford said he had considered a career as a doctor, but the academy “sparked” his interest in a potential career as a patrol deputy.

Riley Clagg, 15, said she signed up because she wanted to find something she would be interested in in the future. She now wants to become a prison officer.

“But I’m a bit of an introvert, so that’s definitely something I’d have to figure out,” she said. “I definitely need to work on opening up to people more.”

On Thursday morning, the final day of the academy, students gathered around Sergeant Gerald Jenkins at the Hartselle Tactical Training Center as he explained SWAT tactical gear in a way they could relate to.

“Anyone play Call of Duty?” he asked.

One of the boys quickly raised his hand. Jenkins then showed them a fully automatic M4 rifle and a submachine gun. Jenkins then raised a hand-held battering ram.

“This is the key,” he explained. “This is the master key.”

The students then climbed into the SWAT van.

“It holds a lot of people, so we don’t have to take 10 vehicles,” he said. “Can you imagine that many people with all that equipment?”

Jenkins told an anecdote about waiting about 10 hours in a van for surgery.

Captain Richard Moats unpacked the drone for another demonstration.

“This is the newest DJI drone they’ve released,” he said. “It’s a first-person drone. Have you ever seen Oculus (VR headset)?”

Several students answered affirmatively.

“Same concept,” Moats continued. “There’s a little dot in the middle of the screen, and wherever I point the controller, the drone flies. That drone costs $1,200. It’s a lot more cost-effective than sending one of our operators.”

Moats shared an anecdote about recently using a drone to fly over a suspected drug house, explaining that the footage could later be used in court proceedings.

“Okay, that’s my story,” he said. “Go have fun with the SWAT guys. Have fun.”

The students then returned to Jenkins, who handed out Nerf guns. They split into smaller groups and took turns learning how to tactically enter and clear rooms.

“Search warrant issued by Morgan County Sheriff’s Office!” one of the boys shouted as he entered the training center.

Operators accompanied them every step of the way.

“Okay, we have one more door,” one of the deputies said. “You cleared everything but this room, what do you think? Is the bad guy in there?”

The “bad guy,” also a deputy, was indeed “there.” He suffered a hail of foam darts fired by jubilant students.

The SWAT team also offered demonstrations, including a stun grenade and breaking down doors with explosives. Students were provided with eye and ear protection and instructed to stand at a safe distance.

The explosion was loud. Then instructors and students gathered to look at the damaged door.

“You can’t do that in Call of Duty,” Jenkins said.

The girl examined the place where the door had fallen apart near the lock.

“It’s not a door anymore,” she said. “I think you all need new doors now.”

After lunch, students learned CPR and first aid using tourniquets and Narcan. In the afternoon, they held a graduation ceremony and received their certificates.

Swafford said the first year of the academy has been a learning experience. This year, Morgan County had 30 registration slots for ninth- through 11th-graders. The program is still growing.

“Next year, we’ll probably expand it to seniors or do something else,” he said. “We’re already talking about two weeks next summer — two sessions — because it’s been so well-received. It’s a living, breathing thing that we’ll continue to refine and shape.”

Swafford expects registration for next year to begin in April or May.

“One of the MPs said this morning that he was sad it was ending because it had probably been one of the best weeks we’ve ever had,” he said.

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