ATLANTA - Thirty-five officers are set to graduate from the Basic Community Supervision Officer Training (BCSOT) course at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth. The graduation ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2015 in the GPSTC auditorium. The ceremony concludes the eight week training course. All graduates will be certified as Community Supervision Officers by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.).

The certified officers are employed by the state’s newest public safety agency - the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS). They will soon join the ranks of fellow CSO’s currently responsible for the community-based supervision of approximately 180,000 adult felony offenders throughout Georgia.

DCS Director of Field Operations David Morrison says the officers have been well trained and are ready to begin their assignments.

“Over the past eight weeks, these men and women have been tested daily, both mentally as well as physically, and have proven that they are prepared to excel in this challenging profession,” said Morrison. “These officers have demonstrated a tremendous level of commitment, teamwork and perseverance during their training. We are both proud of them and proud for them. We look forward to the difference they will make in the lives of offenders and in our communities,” added Morrison.

The BCSOT program includes: supervision techniques, investigation procedures, intervention strategies, Georgia law, policy and procedure, interview skills, physical fitness, arrest procedures, defensive tactics, computer interaction and firearms qualification.

The new CSO’s will be working in the following locations: Americus, Marietta, Lawrenceville, Cordele, Albany, Augusta, Morrow, Gainesville, Dalton, Hinesville, DeKalb, Valdosta, Savannah, Waycross, Dallas, Monroe, Statesboro, Carrollton, Bainbridge, Buchanan and Conyers.

Contact Information:

For more information please contact Bert Flewellen, Director of Public Affairs at 404-309-7257 or [email protected].