The Emergency Services Academy celebrated the graduation of 18 students from the Detention Officer Certification Course (DOCC) on March 11 at A-B Tech Woodfin. The class had officers from Buncombe, Polk, Madison, Jackson, and Yancey counties.
The class is offered as needed, according the Marty McNeely, Basic Law Enforcement Technology Director. This year, he expects his department to offer three to four sessions of the certification class, which can also be used as a stepping stone for detention center employees to join the BLET program and go through the ranks within their sheriffs’ departments.
McNeely’s position oversees three state-regulated criminal justice schools. In addition to the DOCC, he is responsible for the BLET program and the telecommunicator certification, which is also offered as needed.
The DOCC is required by state law for anyone employed as a detention officer jailer by a sheriff's office to be certified within the first year of employment. Students receive instruction on topic such as the criminal justice system, ethics, physical fitness, legal aspects, investigative process, subject control, medical care, inmate management and supervision, and inmate transportation.
Major Daryl Fisher of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department was the guest speaker at the ceremony. Fisher was the previous BLET director at A-B Tech. “This class was 197 hours, which is more than what the state requires. A-B Tech always gives more than needed to make sure their graduates are prepared,” Fisher said.
Class President Sean Richard Taylor, who also works for Buncombe County, had praise for the instruction his class received. “Our instructors were patient and kind. They all wanted us to be the best officers we could be,” he said.
Graduates were Justin David Banks, Shean Camden Banks, Kari Brianna Franks, Nicorian Deandrea Geer, Benjamin Stephen Haggerty, Levi Joseph Johnson, Tammy Lee Jones, Nickolis Thomas Kerrigan, Tara Rae Ledford, Stephanie Ann McGhee, Christopher Paul Murray, Justin Wyatt Nicolson, Danny Austin Robinson, Sean Richard Taylor, Chauncey Tavares Thicklen, Mykeshia Shann Tolbert, Steven Christopher Whitemann, and McKenna Jac Wilde.
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