Deputies receiving valuable training this summer

This summer we have a lot of training scheduled for the staff at the Sheriff's Office that will be very beneficial to the office overall. This year we put a lot of focus on finding programs that could be paid for with grants. Last month one of our deputies was accepted into the DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) program and we were able to get the training, air fare, and lodging all covered through a grant. This training took place in two separate events and was a total of three weeks of training. We were also able to send a deputy to Texas for K-9 training through an organization that helps agencies adopt dogs that have been rescued by a shelter. Once the dog is healthy and ready for training, they train the dog for several months before the deputy arrives and begins his "handler" training with the dog. Having a K-9 in the past has proven very beneficial, not only with traffic stops and search warrants, but it is a great tool to use in the DARE program and events with children.

I was also able to attend advanced CSI school with another deputy this past week through the Criminal Justice Center at MSSU. They say the best way to learn is by doing it yourself, and we found that to be very true during this class when we spent a day out in some woods digging up evidence from a staged crime scene. This part of the training was focused on forensic sub-surface excavation. This is an area that I have not had much experience in and found the process to be fascinating. When they say you are going to "dig" at the crime scene for possible buried evidence, what they really mean is you are going to scrape the ground with a small shovel and spend hours pouring the dirt through sifters! To make it even better, we got to do it in the rain! Our training team did find all the evidence that had been planted that included bullets that had been shot into the ground, some artificial bones, and other small pieces of evidence.

We recently sent a supervisor from the jail to "Supervisor and Leadership" training and later this year we have training scheduled for our DARE officers that will focus on Internet and social media related crimes. Each year we are seeing an increase in social media related crimes that involve underage children so this training will be extremely valuable for our deputies who work every day in our schools. No matter what experience someone may have, you can never have enough training. I am excited to see what other training we can find for our staff as we continue to implement new ideas and improve the service we offer to our community.