Ten cadets from the Coconino County Sherriff’s Office Basic Detention Academy were sworn in as Detention Officers at Coconino Community College Lone Tree Campus on Friday, Nov. 9. Courtesy photo.
By Larry Hendricks
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The cadets stood at attention and the lieutenant made his inspection. He marched quietly among the cadets and checked their uniforms, their boots, their gear.
They passed muster.
Ten cadets from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Basic Detention Academy were sworn in as Detention Officers during a small ceremony Friday, Nov. 9, at Coconino Community College. The detention academy is made possible through a partnership with the Sheriff’s Office and CCC.
The academy is designed to meet Arizona Detention Association standards, and it provides entry-level training to detention officer staff. Students accepted into the academy must be hired or recommended by an approved law enforcement agency. All the classes for the six-week course are taught by staff at the Coconino County Detention Facility in Flagstaff. The detention academy happens on the seventh week. More than 90 percent of the detention officers working at the county jail have gone through the CCSO-CCC Basic Detention Academy.
Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll swore in the new officers.
Justin Harvey was one of the new Detention Officers I sworn in. He started his training at the jail in March.
“My dad was a sheriff’s deputy in California for 29 years,” Harvey said. “I’ve always wanted to get into law enforcement and the jail’s a great place to start.”
While working as a detention officer, Harvey said he plans to continue to complete college and receive a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. At that point, he will consider whether he wants to join the law enforcement ranks at the sheriff’s office. He’s happy with completing the academy.
“It feels good to finally be done,” Harvey said. “It’s been a long seven weeks, and I definitely feel better prepared for the job now.”
Detention Facility Commander Matthew Figueroa said that the partnership began in 2004 as a means to keep the candidates from having to travel to other communities to complete the academy training. The candidates can stay with their families, and they can continue to remain at their jobs and not incur expenses.
“It also allows for the opportunity to obtain higher education as well,” Figueroa said.
Each cadet who completes the academy walks away with 13 college credits that are transferrable to the three state universities, which the newly minted detention officers can use to apply to an associate degree or move on to a four-year degree and beyond, Figueroa said.
Also graduating were: Stafford Begay, Branden Cox, Taylor Franklin, Samuel Michel, Stephen Nelson, Joseph Tuil, Robert Wheeler, Seth Wilks and Alora Zellhuber.
— Larry Hendricks is the public relations coordinator at Coconino Community College.
For a photo essay of the detention academy graduation click here