TROUP COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL) – Eight third graders attended “Sheriff for a Day” Friday at the Troup County Sheriff’s Office. “Sheriff for a Day” is an annual event hosted by the Sheriff’s Office where a third grader from each elementary school is invited to learn about the department. Students are chosen by the administrators of each school and this is the final stage of the junior assistant program.

Students received lunch and had the opportunity to shadow sheriff’s deputies, tour the jail, watch a canine demonstration, and tour the 911 dispatch center and government center.

“It’s a lot of things that they don’t normally see unless you google it or see pictures or something. Going back to the prison and seeing how things work here gives them an understanding how we do things here at the sheriff’s office,” said Sgt. Stewart Smith, public information officer for the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.

The junior deputy program is a partnership between the sheriff’s office and the Troup County school system. sergeant. Smith visits all 11 elementary schools in the system throughout the school year and teaches 4 lessons to third graders. The lessons are school safety, home safety, bike safety, and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Luke Haywood represented West Point Elementary School at Sheriff for a Day. He said the dog show was his favorite part of the day and he hopes to work at the sheriff’s office one day.

“I really liked the way the dog chased the man and that lesson and yeah it was pretty funny,” Haywood said.

He said his favorite lesson from the program was “staying safe at home” because it taught him what to do to stay safe. Haywood hopes to one day work in the sheriff’s office.

The junior assistant program has been taught for over a decade and Sgt. Smith said it is updated based on community progress.