By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, as well as many other law enforcement agencies, are facing a shortage of officers.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says having one of the largest graduating classes from the Law Enforcement Academy on the Missouri Western campus helps, but adds the Sheriff's office is still short officers.
"We're still behind, but we continue to make inroads into getting some folks hired," Puett tells Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "Everybody's still struggling, we're looking for good people that want to serve their community."
Puett says the Buchanan County Sheriff's office saw three that they sent to the academy graduate, with two, Deavin Allen and Kevin Ross, returning to assist the department.
But, Puett says the training is not done once aspiring officers leave the academy, that is just the beginning, comparing the academy to the foundation of a house.
"What the academy does is they can't teach you everything, they can't do everything, but if they pour a very thick, solid foundation that is immovable and unbreakable, then that gives you a good start," Puett says. "And then, when you go to your agency, by having good policies and training officers and things, then you start to frame that house."
Puett says it's normally unheard of, but to his knowledge, something happened for all of those graduating officers.
"I believe that this class, when it graduated, that everybody that was of age and could be employed had a job in law enforcement upon graduation," Puett says. "And in the past that hasn't been the case, where you know you have some people that put themselves through the academy, but it's really good to see."
Puett says the current academy at Missouri Western has been in existence since 1985.