Deputy sheriffs Benjamin O’Donnell (left), Jessica Ballantyne (center) and Alex Groff are part of the latest class to complete Penn State-run Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Program. They will graduate from the program on Nov. 15, 2024, and return to their home communities prepared to serve.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Thirty-eight new deputies from sheriff’s offices around the commonwealth will return to their home communities with the tools to serve after completing the Penn State-run Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Program.
After 19 weeks of training, the class will graduate at 11 a.m. on Nov. 15 in Deans Hall at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, University Park.
Deputy Jessica Ballantyne, from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, said that, while it was difficult to be away from her family, the sacrifice was worth it so she could take this important next step in her career. She said she has gained the confidence to know that she can tackle the more demanding aspects of the job.
“This academy teaches you a lot of discipline. The instructors are very encouraging, even when there were times where I was thinking, ‘I can’t do this,’ but you know you can,” said Ballantyne. “Taking that home, I want my family to know that I didn’t give up. Even though five months is a long time, you learn so much.”
When she walks across the stage during graduation, she said she hopes it serves as inspiration to her 12-year-old daughter, “to prove to her that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
During the 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, courtroom security and physical training.
The graduating class will be the 69th since the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) selected the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI) as the academy’s administrator in the year 2000. Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs; judges; attorneys; and local, state and federal law enforcement officers help deliver the training.
Class Platoon Leader Benjamin O’Donnell, from Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office, said he was impressed by the expertise the instructors provided based upon their actual experience in the field.
“This is not what you see on TV or the movies. We are learning real-world experiences from our instructors. They are going to teach you the right way to do things,” O’Donnell said. “It is perfect knowledge from perfect instructors.”
Through the training he has received, O’Donnell said he feels he can make a positive impact in how people perceive and react to law enforcement.
“There are a lot of people who will say that one person can’t make a difference, but I think for our counties, we can actually make one heck of a difference through regular civil process,” O’Donnell said. “I think we can help provide a positive outlook for people when it comes to law enforcement than what has been portrayed in recent years. We could help change people mindsets.”
For Class President Alex Groff, being at Penn State for the training was a homecoming of sorts. He graduated from Penn State Harrisburg with a degree in Political Science. It was his college experience that led him to a career in law enforcement.
“It wasn’t the initial goal, but I kind of developed a passion for law enforcement and then I did an internship with Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office at the end of my undergrad,” Groff said.
Now that he is back at Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff, he said the training he received at the academy has provided him with skills to be successful in his career.
“When you are on the street, we now know our abilities as sheriffs, plus the crime codes, so we are better able to identify what we are seeing in real-time,” Groff said. “The other thing that is important, is that we learned how to communicate with people and how to read body language. We also learned how to position ourselves to keep ourselves safe. We are all coming out of here more confident that we can do our jobs and do them well.”
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.
JASI is a Penn State Outreach program.
