Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is proud to announce the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy (SMCJA) celebrated the graduation of 24 correctional officers – 11 from Charles County – from the Corrections Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP), Session 59, at a ceremony held May 4 at Chopticon High School in Morganza, MD. The program requires each Correctional Officer to complete an eight-week, 320 hour Basic Corrections Academy, which exceeds the state minimum for all Correctional Officers working in local correctional facilities across Maryland.
“Correctional Officers walk one of the toughest beats in law enforcement,” said Sheriff Berry. “They are responsible for the safety and security of the inmates, but they also have a role in rehabilitation and helping inmates get back on track upon their release. CO’s have the opportunity to make a positive impact on many lives.”
During the ceremony, SMCJA instructors presented awards to three Charles County graduates who excelled in several categories: Robin Coleman received the Scholastic Achievement Award for earning a 98.18 percent grade point average, the highest in the class. Maurice Johnson won the Steve Allen Leadership Award, named after one of the original founders of the SMCJA who died of cancer several years ago, and he also won the Physical Training Award, scoring the highest in the class during PT tests administered at the beginning and end of the training program.
Sheriff Berry and the men and women of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office are proud to welcome our newest Correctional Officers to the CCSO family:
- Correctional Officer Zachariah Barnhart
- Correctional Officer Katherine Burroughs
- Correctional Officer Robin Coleman
- Correctional Officer Dylan Heishman
- Correctional Officer Cortaz Hill
- Correctional Officer Maurice Johnson
- Correctional Officer William Leapley
- Correctional Officer Arunyarat Nookong
- Correctional Officer Ricardo Olivia
- Correctional Officer Haven Smith, III
- Correctional Officer Tyler Superior
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 and has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.