Westchester Insider: Westchester County: WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION SWEARS IN 37 NEW CORRECTION OFFICERS.

 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION SWEARS IN 37 NEW CORRECTION OFFICERS.

 

(Valhalla, NY) – After completing a rigorous 12-week academy, 37 new correction officers took their oaths of office today and embarked on careers at the Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC).

 

County Executive George Latimer said: “One of the most important functions of County government is the safe running of a correctional facility. The individuals remanded into the custody of WCDOC have arrived there for many reasons and will look to our new correction officers as role models and mentors. A full commitment to their new profession will directly impact the men and women in their care and help them address those elements that contributed to their period of incarceration. Rest assured that my administration will continue to provide resources to support the advancement of our Corrections Department, its workforce and those remanded into their care and custody.”

 

The ceremony began with a call to order, opening prayer and a presentation of the colors by the Department’s Honor Guard, who entered the Westchester Community College Hankin Academic Arts Center accompanied by bagpipers and drummers of the Westchester County Emerald Society.

 

Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerald welcomed attending dignitaries and graduating class family members. As Deputy Commissioner in charge of the training academy he said: “To support our new correction officers the Department has taken steps to enhance training curriculum and expanded the academy period from 10 to 12 weeks.  Some formal training enhancements include; scenario based instruction to simulate officer/resident interaction, more on-the-job training to familiarize recruits with a jail environment, debriefing modules, and enhanced report writing. A special thanks to the academy staff and instructors for a job well done and to the academy class for the tremendous effort they put forward to complete WCDOC training requirements”.

 

In addressing the recruits, Correction Commissioner Joseph K. Spano reinforced that the new career they have chosen is one of the most challenging in all of law enforcement.

 

Spano stated: “Correction officers have one of the most important roles in criminal justice. Along with providing custody and supervision for incarcerated individuals you have a significant role in their rehabilitation process. The extensive training you received over the last 12 weeks combined with our continuing support will help you adjust to your new profession and safely carry out your daily responsibilities in a complex environment. As part of those responsibilities, we expect that each of you will adhere to the core mission and values of our Department. In addition to consistently applying our best in class standards and policies, you will support the men and women in our care by being agents for positive change”.

 

Commissioner Spano further noted that the Westchester Department of Correction is considered a national leader in the space, recognized for its robust rehabilitation program system and accreditation certifications through the American Correctional Association, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the Prison Rape Elimination Act. 

 

At the ceremony, Captain Patti Bhola of the Department’s Training Academy, detailed some of the unique correction officer training curriculum including implicit bias, secondary trauma, de-escalation of incidents, defensive tactics, crisis intervention and interaction with seriously mentally ill people. Prior to the close of the ceremony, she was joined by Training Unit Sergeants Kevin Johnson and Paul Lindert, and they presented awards to members of the graduating class who distinguished themselves during the academy, including the best student, the best conditioned recruit and for leadership.

 

 

Correction Officers
Victor Arpi
Eugenia Astudillo
Jacqueline Badia
Mike Barrera
Katrina Blackman
Nelson Castillo
Stefon Collins
Jarrod Deans
Quadazia Dunham
Juan Garcia
Kelsey Gardner
Evelyn Gonzalez
Eric Green
William Grogan ll
Karl Hall
Lorraine Harrison
Garfield Heslop Jr.
Natasha Jackson-Gibbons
Lemar Johnson
Crystal Kellogg
Miguel Lopez
Gabriel Mancuso
Anthony Mercado
Mike Morales Lemus
Erica Paz Mayorga
Emma Pokorne
Christopher Rivera
Shavaughn Robinson
Rinaldi Rodriguez De La Cruz
Kareem Rose
Jonathon Soto
Diamond Spaulding
Chequan Stewart
Devon Thom
Brian Vasquez
Shanaja Wilson
Erin Wimbley