By Sandi Latimer
Staff Writer
Members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Community Relations Office spend much of their time on drug education in the schools, but they also perform other duties for county residents.
Deputy Jessica Gabriel, in an April presentation to the Jackson Township trustees, says their work goes on all over the county.
“Mostly we’re in the fifth and seventh grades and mostly in the Columbus City Schools,” she said. “But we’ve also been at Westland and Franklin Heights High Schools.”
When the Community Relations officers aren’t working on drug education, they are offering a variety of classes throughout the community. One of the more popular classes is the women’s defense class known as RAD or Rape Aggressive Defense.
“This is a 12-hour program spread out over several days,” said Gabriel who has been with the sheriff’s office for seven years.
Another course that is gaining in popularity is the CRASE class – Citizens Reaction to an Active Shooter Event.
Twice a year the sheriff’s office offers a Citizen’s Academy where participants go through mock situations that deputies face every day.
“It’s mostly traffic situations,” Gabriel said of the situations the people face during the 10-week course that is offered in spring and fall.
At the end of the course the participants get a special shirt and volunteer at community events to augment the work of the deputies.
After Gabriel’s presentation, trustees approved a resolution declaring several items as surplus, making them available to be posted on www.GovDeals.com.
One of those items was a 1968 StarCraft boat that Township Administrator Mike Lilly said was purchased by the Ladies Auxiliary through a fundraising project and given to the township so the fire department would have it to train on and use in water rescues. The fire department currently uses an inflatable boat for training and rescues because it is easier to transport to the water.
It’s outdated, Lilly said, so the township will sell it and use the money to help the fire department with Safety Town. The ladies auxiliary dissolved and is now a footnote in township history.
