Sumiton Police Chief T.J. Burnett said the training session, which was held Thursday at the Sumiton Community Center, was the third hosted by the department in the last two years, and officials hope to continue the program indefinitely.
Burnett said the department did not receive a grant for the project; he and other officers just saw a need in the area.
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he said.
Burnett said the organizers of the project try to keep the costs minimal both to the City of Sumiton and to the officers attending the courses. He said most of the seminars have been free to attend.
Burnett said police officers often see free seminars that are usually either elementary or just plain boring. However, the organizers of the seminars in Sumiton have worked hard to provide the type of training sessions that would normally cost hundreds of dollars, he said.
The most recent seminar covered repairs and upkeep to Glock sidearms, which are a popular brand of pistols made with synthetic polymers. Burnett said most police departments have an officer trained for basic maintenance of the weapon, but the training course in Sumiton went beyond the typical breakdown of the weapon. He said officers left the course with the ability to fix minor problems with the firearm and to ensure the gun is in working order.
The Glock seminar maxed out at 26 students from across the southeast, according to Burnett.
The last course at the Sumiton Police Department was a two-day class teaching proper investigation techniques for traffic homicides. Organizers hope to have the next training session cover Crime Scene Investigation procedures.
For more information about Sumiton Police Department’s training seminars, call 205-648-3261.