Officers receive training honor from state
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on October 12, 2009 1:54 PM
A program that encourages additional training and college courses for North Carolina police officers honored three Goldsboro police officers this quarter.
Officers Pat Carcirieri, Cpl. Marissa Davis and Steven Powers were recognized as having "advanced" law enforcement training.
The designation is only available to officers who have completed a set number of hours and at least four years of experience as a police officer.
The designation doesn't come with a raise, except for the officer's sense of pride, said two of the honorees, Davis and Powers.
"It's just the pride," Davis said. "Sometimes we don't get the thank-yous that we are supposed to get, and this is just another way of saying 'thank you' for your service."
She said some officers choose not to apply for the designation, even when they're eligible.
"A lot of officers don't apply to get their advanced certificates, they just don't," Cpl. Davis said. "They feel like 'I don't need it.' When you've served in a job, and this is something that they (superiors) recognize (later), they may feel differently."
Powers, a warrant officer, said he appreciates that the state takes time to recognize continued training and education by police officers.
"I just think it makes you feel good to know that you've dedicated yourself to the profession of law enforcement, and you're recognized for the hard work and the training," Powers said.
The program is overseen by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and recognizes officers covering both municipal and county areas, Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Enforcement officers, agents of the State Bureau of Investi-gation, Highway Patrol troopers, License and Theft Bureau officers, Fisheries and Wildlife Enforcement officers and forest rangers.
A special certificate is also available to security agents for state buildings and agencies, airport security officers, campus police, railroad police and Parks and Recreation Commission Enforcement officers.
"This is an opportunity for almost any law enforcement officer (in) the state," Davis said.