Since 2023, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Monroe County Intermediate School District to provide juniors and seniors with an inside look into the operations of law enforcement.
The career technical program offered by the ISD takes place over the course of one to two school years, depending on whether students want to continue after the first. In the first year, juniors are taught about all aspects of law enforcement and the legal system, from how a call is dispatched, to probation, parole, and imprisonment.
In year two, usually done with seniors, students are taken through the corrections curriculum, so at the end of the year they can take a test and become certified corrections officers.
“It’s good for us because now (if) I hire somebody, I don’t have to send them to the four weeks corrections academy,” said Sheriff Troy Goodnough. “They’re already certified, so it saves us a substantial amount of money.”
Goodnough refers to the program as an “incubator,” where young people who don’t know what they want to do with their lives yet can take a look at law enforcement and decide if it’s for them. Goodnough said two of the graduates from the 2024-25 year are interviewing to become corrections officers.
“I’m hoping, as we go… you know, every year we’re going to have three, four, five retirements, that we use these students that graduate from CTE and come right in there and make good solid employees for us,” he said.
As of June 16, the sheriff’s office was down 16 road patrol deputies, so the hope is that this program will help raise personnel numbers.
The program also comes with school and college credits for students, since it goes through the ISD.
The graduates from the 2024-25 CTE program are as follows:
First year: Klohie Carothers, Ryder Mulherin, Alexandria Lugo, David Gurganus, Jadon Monday, Kaden Gerth, Allison Lestock, and Nina Bauman
Second year: Aaron Maddick, Drew Weyher, and Isabella Chinavare
— Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at CVeenstra@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and ISD team up to introduce students to law enforcement
Reporting by Connor Veenstra, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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