IMMEDIATE JANUARY 26, 2004

SIXTEEN GRADUATE FROM ABAC POLICE ACADEMY

TIFTON--Sixteen individuals from the south Georgia area recently received certificates at graduation exercises for the 193rd Session South Georgia Police Academy Basic Mandate Class at Abraham Baldwin College.

Acting Academy Director Ray Saxon said that Mitchell A. McCrimmon of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office received the Overall Achievement Award for the 193rd session. McCrimmon also received the Academic Achievement award, the first place award for Firearms, and served as president of the class. The second place award for academics went to Jamie D. Taylor of the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office. Jeffery W. Bennett of the Ware County Sheriff’s Office received the second place award for Firearms.

Chief Mike Boyd of the Moultrie Police Department was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony.

Other Police Academy graduates included Zach Bradford, Jr. of Albany, who was sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; John E. Brinson of Ochlocknee, who was sponsored by the Cairo Police Department; Michael C. Cox of Jacksonville, Fla., who was sponsored by the Fitzgerald Police Department; Steven Douglas Crawford of Rochelle, who was sponsored by the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office; Harry J. Fox of the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office; Freelon Gay of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; and John L. Johnson, Jr. of Thomasville, who was sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy.

Other graduates included Dale Mitchell of the Bainbridge Police Department; Wade A. Richards of the Americus Police Department; Melissa L. Scott of Willacoochee, who was sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; William E. Stuckey of Whigham, who was sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; Wanda J. Thomas of Douglas, who was sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; and Joseph E. Thornton of Fargo, who was sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources Parks.

The South Georgia Police Academy regularly holds multi-week intensive training sessions designed to acquaint officers with state-of-the-art law enforcement techniques. The Academy operates in cooperation with the Division of Social Science at ABAC.

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