On Tuesday, the Troup County Board of Commissioners recognized hundreds of hours of study by three Troup County Sheriff’s Office employees who recently attained certification through the Senior Deputy Certification Program.

Deputy Josh Miller, Office Manager Joy Burnham and Reserve Deputy Jason Ritter, who also works for GEMA, recently completed the certification, which is designed for deputy sheriffs seeking to enhance their knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Sheriff.

“Thank y’all very much for the work that y’all have put into the examination to get these certifications,” County Commission Chairman Patrick Crews said. “It is an accomplishment for the sheriff’s office that we had one not too long ago, and now we’ve got three more. … Thank you all very much for what you do each and every day and for taking this opportunity to do further training.”

The three new certifications means that the TCSO has gone from no employees with the specialized training in 2018 to four at present. Sgt. Randy Mobley was recognized for receiving his Senior Deputy Certification earlier this year.

“That is 324 hours of intense study that is put forth by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association,” Sheriff James Woodruff said.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners likewise recognized Corporal Michael Hockett and Deputy Sheriff Anthony Smith. Hockett and Smith were recently honored at the American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast for saving the life of a citizen through timely medical response.

The section of the video featuring the deputies from the breakfast was played during the commission meeting.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners will meet again on Thursday, April 11 at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Avenue.