A Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant provided an important educational opportunity at the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association 2013 Command Staff Training Conference. Three days of intensive training was conducted in Macon, Ga., May 1-3, for the upper-level command staff of sheriffs’ offices from throughout the State of Georgia. More than 150 officers—including sheriffs, chief deputies, and top-level command officers—participated in the training conference.
Officials said, "Sheriff’s Offices across the state of Georgia recognize the importance of maintaining high levels of training for all their staff. Quality training is a critical element to the overall operation of a Sheriff’s Office. The society we all live in today demands that law enforcement functions requires vigilance like never before. The sheriffs realize this and are committed to finding ways to continue to train, equip and mobilize deputies in the event of a critical incident. Budget constraints often hinder the ability of Sheriffs to provide advanced training. The budget barrier has been removed since the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety partnered with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association to provide advanced and specialized training for deputy sheriffs as well as a forum for discussion and information exchange between sheriffs and their command staff."
Catoosa County Chief Deputy Major Kelly Holcomb attended and received valuable training and information emphasizing highway safety and leadership training.
“The Command Staff Training Conference is a tremendous opportunity for the upper level command leadership within sheriffs’ offices to attain specialized training on highway safety, leadership development and current trends in Georgia, as well as fostering partnerships statewide,” said Tonia Welch, training director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, Inc.
“The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is proud of our long-standing partnership with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and the sheriffs of our state. The command staff training is another example of the professionalism of the sheriffs and law enforcement leaders who lead their respective forces. The citizens of Georgia are well served by these dedicated public servants,” said Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, Inc. is a professional organization that represents Georgia’s 159 elected Sheriffs. The Association relies on the support of more than 70,000 Honorary Members throughout the state who recognize and value the services provided by the Constitutional Office of Sheriff. In addition to the valuable services that the Association offers to statewide law enforcement initiatives, GSA also sponsors the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes, Inc. which provides full-time residential care for Georgia’s abused, abandoned and neglected children.