El Paso County Sheriff’s Office bringing back old protocol, POST-certifying all depuites
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Back in 2018, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office was experiencing attrition agency-wide so they implemented a new program that allowed non-POST-certified deputies to work in the jail. Now, they are reverting back to the old system.
Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, certification is the standard training all Colorado law enforcement go through. However, years ago, some deputies were hired without full law enforcement certifications -- just enough to safely and effectively work in the jail.
Since 2018, 144 non-POST-certified deputies have been hired and they will all have the chance to retrain through a POST-certified academy.
"They’ll be taken off their primary duties in the detention bureau — transitioned into a POST-certified academy and will do their 22 weeks," Sgt. Garrett with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said.
The purpose of phasing out the non-certified deputies is to increase the level of training and professionalism of the whole force. Specifically, the sheriff's office said they will be training on things like the use of force and non-biased policing.
There will be three academies offered in 2023 with about 48 recruits going through each class. The academies are not just open to the non-certified deputies working in the jail, anyone can apply.
If you're interested in applying to be an El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy click here.
