NATCHEZ — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office has opened applications for a Citizen’s Academy coming up this March.

In the academy, which is the first of its kind for the sheriff’s office, residents of Adams County will learn the day-to-day operations of the sheriff’s office’s dispatchers, deputies and investigators.

Applications for the academy are due March 2.

The purpose of a citizen academy, assistant to the sheriff Jacquelyn Posey said, is to encourage understanding between residents and the law enforcement officers who protect them.

“You’ll get to learn what we do and why,” Posey said. “You will also learn how to protect yourself in dangerous situations.”

The class will hold only approximately 20 students, Posey said, urging residents to apply quickly.

The class will meet every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. for approximately two months between March 15 and May 19.

Participants who attend at least 80 percent of the classes, Posey said, will be eligible for a graduation ceremony and celebration at the conclusion of the course.

Alongside learning the operations of the sheriff’s office, participants will take part in self-defense lessons, firearm training and officer ride-alongs.

Each meeting will focus on an aspect of law enforcement — from arrest, search and seizure to official responses to crime scene processing and crisis intervention.

Citizens will also take a tour of the Adams County Jail and take lessons from Sheriff Travis Patten, Chief Deputy Jerry Brown and members of the narcotics unit.

Posey said the course will also benefit the sheriff’s office by creating a more informed public.

Often, Posey said, residents who do not understand why a deputy asks certain questions or behaves in a certain way will be less cooperative with law enforcement.

“If they understand the why,” she said, “they’ll understand why they should cooperate. It’s going to give them a better understanding of why we do what we do.”

Hopefully, Posey said, those who take the course will share the information they learn with family members and friends, thereby creating a more informed public.

Some skillsets learned in the academy, Posey said, will be applicable to many real-life situations, such as self-defense and caring for elderly or subjects with dementia.

Applicants for the course must be 21 years old or older, must not have been previously convicted of a criminal offense and must fill out an application available on the sheriff’s office’s website or in the office on State Street.

Posey asked that any questions about the application process be directed to her office at (601) 492-9840.