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In a 10-week course that met every Tuesday, officers provided students an inside look at the law enforcement field, teaching topics such as crisis response, bleeding emergencies and traffic stops.

Saints Peter & Paul sophomore Carson Tyree said the academy changed his perspective of police work.

“What stood out is how these guys work. It’s not all fun and games,� Tyree said. “ … When they go into a situation, there’s a lot of thinking behind it because they can’t violate procedure. If they violate procedure, they can’t be a police officer.�

Junior Canin Parks said he took the academy to learn more about law enforcement since he is considering entering the field. His favorite week was the virtual reality simulator, during which students were posed with the virtual task of helping people in distress.

Jules Stepp, a Saints Peter & Paul junior, most enjoyed learning about Talbot County’s crisis response unit, or SWAT team. Students were shown the inside of a SWAT van and learned about the materials and techniques used in situations that call for crisis response.

“It was like we were there with them,� Stepp said. “We got to live vicariously through them.�

Stepp said she recommends the academy to anyone interested. The academy made it clear the extreme level of detail that policing requires, she said.

“I was surprised how much detail went into every little thing, and how one little thing can cause a problem so they had to backtrack and think about what the consequences could be,� she said. “And how they have to go through so many processes to get grants, peace orders, protective orders and all that type of stuff.�

Following Tuesday’s 10th and final class, Maj. Steve Elliott thanked the students and called them a “great group� for the first ever citizens police academy. Lt. J.R Dobson said it was a fun 10 weeks.

“I think from day one — when (Sheriff Joe Gamble) was giving you guys a lesson on when the first sheriff of Talbot County was — until now, I’ve seen you all loosen up,� Dobson said.

Gamble thanked Lori Stepp, the grants administrator for the Sheriff’s Office, for procuring a grant to make the police academy possible.

The Talbot County Sheriff’s Office is now fielding applications for its second citizens police academy. This round is open to county residents 18 and older. Classes are held every Tuesday for 10 weeks beginning April 8. Applications are open until March 31.

Graduates of the inaugural Talbot County Sheriff’s Office citizens police academy:

Yvonne Herrera Hernandez, North Caroline High School.

Ian Knopp, Saints Peter & Paul High School.

Eric Loredo, Easton High School.

Sofia Miller, St. Â鶹´«Ã½ Middle High School.

Canin Parks, Saints Peter & Paul High School.

Jules Stepp, Saints Peter & Paul High School.

Carson Tyree, Saints Peter & Paul High School.

Evelio Urdaneta Delgado, Easton High School.