RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - On today’s WGNS Action Line, host Bart Walker sits down with Sgt. Irvin Turner and SRO Chad Dodson from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to talk about how School Resource Officers are helping shape the future of our youth. The conversation dives into the upcoming SRO Jr. Deputy Academy, a free three-day program for rising 6th graders designed to build leadership, responsibility, and teamwork. They also highlight the Reality Check Program, aimed at helping troubled teens get back on the right path, as well as other impactful SRO initiatives within Rutherford County Schools.

The Rutherford County SRO program has grown since its start in 1993 and officers play a powerful role in education and safety across our 51+ county schools.

About the SRO Jr. Deputy Academy:  Rising 6th grade students will solve a mystery and participate in self-defense classes during the Sheriff’s School Resource Officers' Jr. Deputy Academy.  The three-day academy features games, demonstrations by Sheriff’s K9s, drones and bike patrol, first aid, patrol skills and crime scene investigations. SROs will teach character and citizenship building skills.

Cost is $20 per student for the academy June 3-5 at either McFadden School of Excellence or Brown’s Chapel Elementary School. The academy is limited to the first 10 students in each Rutherford County elementary school. Students must provide their own snack and sack lunch. For information, contact the SRO at the student's school.