DATE: January 15, 2021    
CONTACT:
Janelle Love
Media Relations Office
301-609-6538

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Welcomes 7 New Correctional Officers

Twelve Candidates Graduate from the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy
Corrections Entrance Level Training Program

Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is proud to announce the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy (SMCJA) celebrated the graduation of 12 correctional officers – 7 from Charles County – from the Corrections Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP), Session 65, at a private ceremony held January 14 at the Academy in Welcome. The program requires each Correctional Officer to complete a ten-week Basic Corrections Academy, which exceeds the state minimum for all Correctional Officers working in local correctional facilities across Maryland.

“We’re very proud of the perseverance of these new Officers as well as our Academy Staff for pushing through and completing this program amidst a pandemic,” said Sheriff Troy Berry. “They overcame many challenges to safely and effectively train a new group of professionals.”

“Correctional Officers walk one of the toughest beats in law enforcement,” Sheriff Berry continued. “They are responsible for the safety of the inmates, officers, and support staff in the Detention Center, but they also serve as mentors and counselors. The ultimate goal of Correctional Officers is to help inmates get their lives back on track upon their release. It is not an easy task but is one that they handle with the utmost professionalism.”

During the graduation ceremony, SMCJA instructors presented awards to graduates who excelled in three categories: Deven Roney, from Charles County, received the Scholastic Achievement Award for earning a 98.99 percent grade point average, the highest in the class. Charles Watley, from Charles County, received the Physical Training Award, scoring 538 points out of 800, the highest in the class during PT tests administered at the beginning and end of the training program. Watley also was honored with the Steve Allen Leadership Award, named after one of the original founders of the SMCJA who died of cancer several years ago.  

CO Deven Roney is awarded the Scholastic Achievement Award
CO Charles Watley is awarded the Steve Allen Leadership Award

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 Kendall Ambroz
Correctional Officer Shiloh Beale
Correctional Officer Elizabeth Brown
Correctional Officer Luke Leapley
Correctional Officer Justin Martin
Correctional Officer Deven Roney
Correctional Officer Charles Watley

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 Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. 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.

###