After completing a rigorous 10-week academy, 41 new correction officers took their oaths of office today and embarked on careers at the Westchester County
Department of Correction (WCDOC). Also completing the WCDOC academy training curriculum were two Yonkers detention officers who participated
as part of a shared services arrangement with the Yonkers Police Department.
The ceremony began with a call to order, opening prayer and a presentation of the colors by the Department’s Honor Guard, who entered the Westchester
Community College Hankin Academic Arts Center accompanied by bagpipers and drummers of the Westchester County Emerald Society. Westchester County
Executive George Latimer delivered keynote remarks, in which he highlighted the unique life experiences that the officers will rely on every day.
“One of the unseen yet most important functions of County government is the safe running of a correctional facility,” Latimer said. “The individuals in your custody have arrived there for many reasons and will look to you as mentors and role models. Leveraging your training and effective communication skills can positively impact their lives and support a successful return to their communities. Rest assured that my Administration will continue to provide resources to support the advancement of our Corrections Department, its workforce and those remanded into their care and custody.”
Newly appointed Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerald, who is in charge of the training academy, welcomed attending dignitaries and graduating class
family members. “We have arrived at this graduation today through unprecedented circumstances of a global Pandemic, which necessitated very judicious preparation and planning for the academy experience,” Gerald said. “Moreover, this time has demanded of each recruit total resolve, commitment and trust in local and national health leaders, this Department and themselves. Thank you to the academy staff, instructors and recruits for your diligence and careful adherence to universal protocols set by the CDC, Westchester County and this Department.”
In addressing the recruits, Correction Commissioner Joseph Spano reinforced that the new career they have chosen is one of the most challenging—but also most rewarding—in all of law enforcement. “Correction officers have one of the most important roles in criminal justice,” Spano said. “The extensive training that you received over the last 10 weeks coupled with the support that our agency will continue to provide has positioned all of you for successful careers. In turn, we expect that each of you will adhere to the Department’s core mission: recovery, rehabilitation and the safe return of those we serve to their home communities. We do not judge individuals remanded into our custody, we assess their needs, treat and leverage programs and services to help them get on a better life path” Commissioner Spano further noted that the Westchester Department of Correction is considered a national leader in the space, recognized for its robust rehabilitation program system and accreditation certifications through the American Correctional Association, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Following the County Executive’s remarks, Captain Patti Bhola of the Department’s Training Academy detailed the unique training that the recruits received during the last 10 weeks, including newly developed curriculum related to implicit bias and secondary trauma. Recruits also received training in effective communication, de-escalation of incidents, defensive tactics, crisis intervention and interaction with seriously mentally ill people.
(Submitted)
