UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There was a nervous silence as trainees in the Penn State–run Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Training Program waited for the last three of their fellow classmates to complete a mandatory physical training test. The class was in the middle of the rigorous 19-week training program designed to prepare them for a demanding career in law enforcement.
Although they had come from counties across the state, the 33 newly hired deputy sheriffs had become close as they learned and grew together on the Penn State University Park campus. The physical training test was the latest hurdle they faced, and they were pulling for each other to make it.
“Because of the relationships that we built and the teamwork we developed, for me, it felt like there was an eerie silence as we waited, because we knew that we had teammates out there that we were close with, and if they didn’t pass, they were being sent home,” said Class President Dylan Palmer, from Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Then, as the final three deputies finished their test with passing marks, that silence turned into a celebration.
“When they came in, we cheered for each of them, and it was a celebration,” Palmer said. “It just shows how much this class supports each other and has grown together over this excellent training program. Through all these weeks together, we continue to support each other and pick each other up.”
Those celebratory cheers will likely be even louder when the class graduates on Aug. 21, becoming the 74th to complete the program since the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) selected the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI), which is part of Penn State Outreach, as the academy’s administrator in 2000.
“There will be a sense of accomplishment that day, but it is not just a moment for me. We did this together and that is a proud thing,” Palmer said.
Throughout the 19-week academy, trainees received instruction in several law enforcement areas, including Pennsylvania crime codes and civil procedures, cultural diversity, ethics, firearms, first responder/first aid, defensive tactics and courtroom security.
Class Squad Leader Amanda Volpe, from the Northampton County Sheriff's Office, said the instruction she received at the academy helped her thoroughly understand the many procedures and compliances that deputies are expected to follow to keep the community safe.
“When you first start at the sheriff’s office, you are nervous. It is a new job, a new place and they are throwing a lot of information at you,” Volpe said. “But then you come here, and you still get a lot of information, but you practice it, you work with it and develop a comfort level with it. Then you can go back home feeling like, ‘Okay, I got this.’ If something gets thrown at me out there, I know I have the tools to handle this the best way with the best outcome.”
Volpe said the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, judges and attorneys, and local, state and federal law enforcement officers who help deliver the training worked closely with the class to provide them with the necessary tools for the job.
“They took the time to come up here and work with us and tell us everything they know. They were so awesome and taught us so much. If you ever had a question, they were patient and took the time to make sure you understood,” Volpe said. “They need to get a shout-out for being there for us through this all.”
After a 20-year career in the U.S. Army, class Vice President and Platoon Leader Noel Zarza worked in the private sector for 12 years. Then, he said, he decided he wanted to wear a uniform again and is now a deputy for the York County Sheriff’s Office.
“I wanted to serve and pay back the community in terms of being a deputy,” Zarza said. “You know, community is a big word. It’s your neighbors and the kids in the schools. We are here to support them and be the face they need whenever they are in trouble or need some kind of help.”
Zarza said while it was difficult spend so much time away from his family over the training, he is proud to continue serving as a positive example for his four children who are college- and high school-aged and finding their own paths to serve their country and community.
“I hope they understand that life should always be about more than you. It should be about service. It should be about giving back to whoever you can give back to,” Zarza said. “So, at the end of the day, I am grateful and blessed to be able to come here and survive these 19 weeks and get back home so I can make an impact.”
The Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Program provides certification and re-certification for approximately 2,100 active sheriffs and deputy sheriffs across the commonwealth. To learn more, visit the PCCD website.