U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- In the early morning hours of 17 August 2020, the residents of a home in Garden City, Alabama woke to the sounds of four home invaders breaking into the house. The invaders did not expect what happened next: armed homeowners confronted them with firearms.
The invaders fled the scene, pursued by the homeowner(s).
In an exchange of gunfire, one of the four suspects was wounded. The wounding greatly aided the Sheriff’s office in the investigation of the home invasion. Over the next three days, all four suspects were identified and arrested. Cullman County Sheriff lauded the homeowners. From Cullman County Sheriff’s Office:
“This is a great example of citizens utilizing their second amendment rights and protecting themselves and their family. I have often stated that law enforcement can be minutes away when you only have seconds to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we at the sheriff’s office are proponents of not only having a weapon for self defense but also being proficient in how to use it,” said Sheriff Matt Gentry.
Sheriff Matt Gentry supports an armed citizenry with more than mere words.
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) offers Women’s Self Defense classes for free, throughout the year, because of demand from the citizens.
Sheriff Matt Gentry is pleased to announce that the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office is now offering Women’s Self-Defense Classes. Our deputies developed these courses in response to the high volume of requests from citizens regarding self-defense classes for the public. Our safety courses are free of charge and will be offered throughout the year.
Deputy Chad Whaley will be instructor for the classes. Deputy Whaley has been with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office for more than ten years. He has helped train police officers and deputies throughout Cullman County and looks forward to assisting the public in safety awareness and women’s self-defense.
Citizens’ Firearms Classes are held twice a year, at no charge. The classes teach firearms safety and Alabama firearms law. The classes include both classroom and range work. From cullmansheriff.org:
We believe that it is the responsibility of every gun owner to be as educated and as safe as possible. This course is designed for anyone that wants to enhance their knowledge on firearms, their safe handling, and the safe storage of guns, and understanding of Alabama gun laws.
The CCSO has a unique program that could be valuable in all the United States. It is the Citizen’s Academy. From cullmansheriff.org:
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy offers a different and exciting program unique to our area. Typically, the students attracted to the academy are a culturally diverse group of people including bankers, businessmen and women, housewives, school teachers, retirees, former military, college students, farmers, and citizens from all walks of life.
Participants meet on Tuesday evening once a week for nine weeks. They learn about virtually every aspect of a deputy’s job including patrol, administration, dispatch, communications, criminal law, SWAT, crime scene investigations, jail operations, and many other areas.
The Citizen’s Academy doesn’t limit participants to just classroom training. Students are also given the opportunity to:
- Ride with a deputy during a tour of duty.
- Tour the Cullman County Detention Center .
- Attend a SWAT demonstration.
- Shoot some of the weapons used by Deputies.
Although graduates of the Citizen’s Academy are not qualified for daily street duty, they do acquire a better understanding of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office operations and responsibilities.
When sworn officers and the citizenry work together, crime rates are greatly reduced. Cullman County is in rural northern Alabama.
A program like this would be valuable anywhere in the country. Any program that promotes understanding between the police and the residents they serve, is a good idea. Even criminals benefit if they understand the rule of law and the process better.
Many criminals do not know the law, or how it is administered. There cannot be deterrence if the potential perpetrator has no knowledge of the potential punishment.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.