Photo above: Gilbert Bernal, who will be working at Augusta University, was pinned by his wife, Ingrid. Staff photo by Stephanie Hill
“I welcome you to the thin blue line.”
These words were spoken by Mike Ayers, the executive director of the Georgia Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST) Council, to the inaugural graduating class of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy on Friday, March 29. Ayers said by having the academy at Columbia County, it will speed up the process of getting law enforcement officers trained.
“What this will allow us to do is fill law enforcement vacant positions in the CSRA a lot quicker,” Ayers said. “It gives it a much more family type feel, because these sheriff’s…These departments have to work together, especially our smaller departments and Sheriff (Clay) Whittle, because he runs the largest departments, has just been phenomenal at seeing the need and meeting it. It will allow us to prepare extremely competent police officers and sheriff’s deputies to service the entire CSRA.”
Ayers offered three pieces of advice to the graduates on how to handle entering the law enforcement world.
“Number one, the goal is preventing crime, not catching criminals,” Ayers said. “Number two, the key to preventing crime is earning the public’s support. And number three, the police earn the public’s support by respecting the community principles.”
Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson was invited by Sheriff Whittle to speak to the graduates and said as someone who grew up in Lincoln County, it was an honor to come back to the area to support local law enforcement.
“Law enforcement is just a critical part of our jobs in the justice system, upholding the rule of law, protecting the rights of the citizens of Georgians,” Pinson said. “I thought it was really important to show our support and give them a little message of encouragement as they go out and help us do our jobs.”
Pinson told the graduates their work as law enforcement is important to being able to protect the citizens of Georgia.
“You as law enforcement are a critical part of our justice system and when you do your job the right way, as you’ve been trained in this facility, you help promote the success of that one goal of us being able to achieve that goal of upholding and preserving the word of law (and) thus, protecting the rights and liberties of all Georgians.” Pinson said.
By having a local law enforcement academy, Sheriff Whittle said they didn’t have to worry about having a minimum number of students.
“We were able to graduate eight new law enforcement officers for the CSRA and had this academy not been granted by POST, none of us would be standing here today,” Whittle said. “We would still be trying to figure out how to get an employee and how to get them certified so we can use them on the street. The reality of it was, it wouldn’t have happened. Not with that small a group. That’s the difference in this academy and those coming through the state right now. The state has a minimum and I understand that because they have budgetary concerns to deal with, but our group of law enforcement in the CSRA has banned together and said we’ll do this.”
The academy covers 44 agencies in the region, with many of them sending instructors to help teach over the 12 weeks. Whittle said none of it would’ve been possible without the agencies working together.
“I’m happy with it,” Whittle said. “I’m thrilled, and I’m even more thrilled because (for the second class) we’re close to the minimum the state has for their class. We’re knocking on the 15 mark already. So our next academy will start on April 22. That quickly we have gone from one academy to another.”
Having a local academy will help fill the shortage of law enforcement in the CSRA, with Whittle adding that CCSO is down 52 deputies.
“That affects your ability to get the job done,” Whittle said. “So being able to have the academy here and attract new people is going to slowly allow us to crawl out of that deficit and that thrills me.”
During the ceremony, there was a presentation of the Top Gun Award, Top Academy Award and was recognized for having the fastest time on the stress course. All three went to Gilbert Bernal, who will be working at the Augusta University Police Department.
“Little bit of surprise, not going to lie,” Bernal said of winning the awards. “I just try my best, that’s all I did. Everything I do is for my family.”
Bernal said he was excited to start working for AU and added that he enjoyed attending the Columbia County academy.
“I loved it here, honestly, the instructors were awesome, everybody was great, professional and they really cared to teach out and have you learn everything,” Bernal said.
Deletho Tyler, who was elected class leader, received the Tommy New Award. The cadets voted on Tyler to receive this award.
Stephanie Hill is the managing editor and covers Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
