UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For Derrick Duncan, the highlight of Pennsylvania’s Penn State-run academy for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs was the people he trained with.
“You go through everything together and you build a good trust and bond,” said Duncan, class president and platoon leader of the newest class of 26 Pennsylvania deputy sheriffs, who will graduate on Friday, May 20.
Duncan, a member of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, has spent seven years in the Army National Guard, but said he gained new perspective from the sheriff’s academy.
“As a sheriff you’re dealing more with people and community outreach,” he said. “You’re trying to build a positive bond with the community around you.”
The Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Program — run by the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI) — trains newly hired sheriffs and deputy sheriffs from all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The academy, held in State College, provides instruction in several law enforcement areas, including Pennsylvania crime codes and civil procedures, cultural diversity, ethics, firearms, first responder/first aid, defensive tactics, courtroom security and physical training.
The graduating class will be the 63rd since the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency selected Penn State JASI as the academy’s administrator in 2000. Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, judges, attorneys, and local, state and federal law enforcements officers help deliver the training.
Jake Phillips, a deputy sheriff in Centre County with five years’ army experience, said he particularly appreciated the use of force section training.
“It’s the very last thing that you want to do,” he said. “The emphasis is on alternatives. It’s by far and away preferred to talk somebody down.”
Meaghan Seybert, who became a Northampton County sheriff’s deputy after six years in private security, said the training took her skills to the next level.
“I definitely feel like I’ve gotten more confident and I’m better prepared when I go back,” she said.
Visit the Penn State JASI website for more information. Penn State JASI, which is a Penn State Outreach service, partners with Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Public Affairs.