SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. – The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office celebrated a milestone on Thursday with the graduation of its first-ever Corrections Training Academy class.
Seven new recruits officially joined the Courts and Corrections Division after completing a rigorous 13-week, 420-hour training program. The academy covered a wide range of essential skills, including physical fitness, firearms, defensive tactics, first aid, legal knowledge, officer safety, correctional supervision, emergency response, and communications.
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The establishment of the in-house academy, a collaborative effort with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice Standards Training Commission, allows the Sheriff’s Office to tailor training to its specific values and expectations.
This move required the agency to ensure compliance and training parameters were met before coursework could begin, “but it was worth it in the long run,” said Captain Vajdik, who also serves as the academy director, “as we are able to best prepare recruits specifically for the values and expectations of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.”
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“We’re grateful to Sheriff Hoffman and the command staff for championing the vision to host our own correctional training academy,” Major Brian Meinberg of the Courts and Corrections Division said, “and to the correctional training staff for managing the daily operations of this inaugural class…with many more to come.”
“I’m proud of this accomplishment,” Sheriff Hoffman said, “not only for our ability to host this academy, but for the dedication and effort of both the recruits and their training staff.”
The graduation ceremony, held at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, was attended by family, friends, and agency members who came together to celebrate the achievements of the new recruits.
The seven graduates included Class President & Corrections Deputy Leonardo Ramirez, Class Vice President & Corrections Deputy Nicholas Scott, Corrections Deputy Ariel Furtak, Corrections Deputy Andrew Jack, Corrections Deputy Jared Johnson, Corrections Deputy Cody Ogden, and Corrections Deputy Scott Sichling.
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