TIFTON, Ga. — Nineteen individuals from the South Georgia area recently received certificates at graduation exercises for the 285th session of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) Regional Police Academy at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. 

Academy Manager Marty Smith said the Overall Achievement award for the session went to Malinda R. Bairof the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.  First place in Academics was awarded to Nicholas J. Ascani of the ABAC Police Department.  Ascani also received second place in Firearms.  Second place in Academics was awarded to Jason L. Harris of the Ashburn Police Department.  First place in Firearms went to David A. Merriott of the Waycross Police Department.

 Other graduates included Dontavious S. Bonner, Howard C. Castleberry, John F. Tortoso, and Javor A. Ware of the Albany Police Department; Jonathan L. Green, Larry C. Jackson, Timothy B. Shaw Jr., and Thomas A. Thompson of the Bainbridge Public Safety Office; Andrew M. Diaz of Cordele Police Department; and Chance R. Abbott of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.

Other graduates included James R. Covey, Jennifer D. Gilbert and Elfondrick S. Lumpkin of the Dougherty Police Department; Jody P. Thomas of the McRae-Helena Police Department; and Calvin U. Johnson of  the Turner County Sheriff’s Office.

The GPSTC Regional 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 School of Human Sciences at ABAC.