For the first time in its history, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office is hiring individuals to send straight to the police academy to become certified deputy sheriffs.

Once hired to the position of Deputy Sheriff Advance Recruit, individuals will report to the Sheriff’s Office for pre-academy training, which according to Director of Training and Recruiting Gary Taylor, will help ensure the success of each applicant.

“It’s a large investment to send individuals to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to become Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) certified,” explained Taylor. “We want to optimize their success by pre-training them in things like driving and shooting.”

Next, hired individuals will be sent to the Georgie Public Safety Training Center in Savannah where they will undergo an intense 11-week training program that consists of 408 course hours, for which they will be paid. After graduation from the academy, officers will immediately report to the Chatham County Detention Center where they will begin their careers.

“We decided to send individuals straight to the academy because we recognize that certification is desirable in this field of work and we want to remain a competitive employer,” explained Sheriff John Wilcher.

To apply to become a Deputy Sheriff Advance Recruit, go to http://jobs.chathamcounty.org.