Gainesville resident Luis Santos-Rivas took the Hall County Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy as a curious new resident.“At that time, I was new here in Georgia,” he said. “I decided to go to the citizen’s academy and see what it was all about and how the sheriff’s office worked.” Seven weeks later, Rivas emerged from the twice-a-week course more informed, and with a desire to contribute.“I learned about drug enforcement; about gangs; about all the equipment they use, for example, to help people in the lake; about the SWAT team; the CSI — all those kinds of things that the sheriff’s office does and their work for the community,” he said.