IMMEDIATE                                                                                                 JUNE 30, 2004

                TWENTY-TWO GRADUATE FROM 196TH ABAC POLICE ACADEMY

TIFTON—Twenty-two individuals from the South Georgia area recently received certificates at graduation exercises for the 196th Session of the South Georgia Police Academy Basic Mandate Class at Abraham Baldwin College.

Academy Director Ray Saxon said that Michael J. Willingham of the ABAC Police Department received the Overall Achievement Award for the 196th session. The Academic Achievement award went to Michael D. Robinson of Albany, sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy. The second place award for academics went to Jeremy A. Taylor of the Cordele Police Department. Taylor also served as the president of the 196th session. First place for Firearms was awarded to Rodney F. Harrod of the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office with second place going to Jamie Royals of the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Don Cheek of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony.

Other Police Academy graduates included Robert J. Bennett from Pearson, sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; Jeremiah W. Bergquist of the Cordele Police Department; Billy J. Caton of the Sycamore Police Department; Terra D. Ealey of the Poulan Police Department; Robert W. Englemann from Valdosta, sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; Jeremy R. Haskin from the Moultrie Police Department; Kenneth W. Kennedy of the Early County Sheriff’s Office; and Lee D. Massey of the Worth County Sheriff’s Office.  

Other graduates included Auther W. McBryer of the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office; David M. Northcutt, Jr., of Hazlehurst, sponsored by the South Georgia Police Academy; Lawanda B. Peacock of the ABAC Police Department; Alden J. Powell of the Irwin County Sheriff’s Office; William C. Robinson of the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office; Jessica L. Shaffer of the Adel Police Department; John D. Shedd of the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office; Joel E. Smith, Jr. of the Tifton Police Department; and Harry E. Williams of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.

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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