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On Tuesday, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office hosted eleven third-grade students from each elementary school in the Troup County School System to be their “Sheriff for a Day.”

The day is the conclusion of the Junior Deputy Program, a program that is taught in elementary schools as a partnership between the TCSO and TCSS.

“They come and act as our sheriff for the day, hang out with us, and learn everything that we do at the sheriff’s office,” Sgt. Stewart Smith said.

The sheriffs for the day were Tycorey Stinson (Berta Weathersbee), Sallii Hodge (Callaway), Darron Hill (Clearview), Josue Lopez Chivalan (Ethel Kight), Kayden Amey (Franklin Forest), Ashton McDonald (Hillcrest), Lucas Pike (Hogansville), Madden Raley (Hollis Hand), Avan Parsons (Long Cane), Garrett Aalto (Rosemont) and Kayden Griggs (West Point).

The day began with the students being picked up from their respective schools and being taken  to the sheriff’s office where they visited Sheriff James Woodruff and took a mini tour of the facilities.

Smith said the program began in 2013 as a way to reward good students.

“It also gives us the ability to interact with the students, let them see what we do on a regular basis and for them to see just us as regular people,” Smith said. “I’m not just somebody toting a badge and a gun and taking people to jail. This gives them a chance to learn what we do on a day-to-day basis at the sheriff’s office and in law enforcement in general.”

After the visit, the students went to the Troup County Government Center, where they received a tour and lunch.

Smith said the best part of the day was getting to build positive relationships with students in the school system.

“This a good group of 11 students we’ve got representing their schools, and we certainly appreciate the partnership we’ve had with the Troup County School System for the last 10 years,” Smith said. “It’s something that we don’t have to beg to come into the schools — they ask us when we’re coming back to work with these kids. It’s a chance for us to get into the schools and for them to learn what we do.”