J. C. White of Patrick County, age 43, was the oldest person to graduate from police academy class on Friday, May 13, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
See news story in the Martinsville Bulletin
www.martinsvillebulletin.com
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Friday’s graduates of the Piedmont Regional Criminal Justice Training Academy are on the path to realizing their goal of serving others.
J.C. White of Patrick County was among the 23 new patrol officers who graduated from the academy in a ceremony held Friday at EMI Imaging in Bassett.
At 43, “I was the oldest guy in the class,� said White, a former member of the military police.
He said he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement because “I wanted to give back to the community.�
White paid for his own training at the academy in Martinsville, using a combination of funds available through the G.I. Bill and work force development.
He recently learned that investment paid off — he will begin working for the Martinsville Police Department on June 1.
William J. Hall of Stuart also paid for his classes and considers them a “resource builder� on his way to a career with the Virginia State Police.
Brian Hubbard of Stuart has been employed by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office since August, and has completed the corrections classes, he said Friday. After completing the entry-level law enforcement training, “I’m ready to get out there and start helping people,� he said.
Kelli Shively, 42, was the only woman in the class. She spent a number of years working in corrections at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and even met her husband, Barry Shively, while working there, she said.
The training “opens more doors for females� in law enforcement because she can begin working in the patrol division, Shively said.
Charles Long, executive director of the Piedmont Regional Criminal Justice Academy, invited retired Patrick County Sheriff David Hubbard to award the certificate of completion to Hubbard’s son, Jacob Hubbard.
