TIFTON, Ga. — Nineteen individuals from the South Georgia area recently received certificates at graduation exercises for the 286th session of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) Regional Police Academy at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. 

Academy Manager Marty Smith said the Overall Achievement award for the session went to Anthony L. White of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office.  First place in Academics was awarded to Brian Oliveira from Tifton of the Department of Corrections, and second place went to Daniel L. Gilleon of the Brunswick Police Department.  First place in Firearms went to Alexander E. Gentry of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and second place was awarded to Jose F. Cruz of the Valdosta Police Department.

 Other graduates included Doug W. Justice of the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Department; Jordan A. Cochran and Alexander E. Gentry of the Brunswick Police Department; Liborio Saavedra of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office; Anthony L. Bell and Sharay L. Davis of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office; and Matthew C. Gourley of the Department of Corrections.

Also graduating were James C. Ricks III, and Jeremy D. Williams of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office; William B. Cady and Jacob F. Winters of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; India Spivey of the Thomasville Police Department; Ryan J. Willis of the Valdosta Police Department; Raheam D. Perry of Lenox, sponsored by the GPSTC; and Lameisha A. Walker of Valdosta, sponsored by the GPSTC.

The GPSTC Regional Police Academy regularly holds multi-week intensive training sessions designed to acquaint officers with state-of-the-art law enforcement techniques. The Academy operates in cooperation with the School of Human Sciences at ABAC.