Cookeville’s Gets First Additional Certified Officer In Several Years

Cookeville Police Department has gotten its first additional certified officer since 2016.

Major Scott Winfree said that through the additional officer, they are now able to create a full-time position for an officer to keep track of the department’s international and state accreditation needs.

“That position is very important to make sure that we are meeting all of our standards,” Winfree said. “And keeping up with a  lot of paperwork. Through the CALIA accreditation, there are over 400 standards.”

Winfree said that they plan to fill the role with someone with plenty of law enforcement experience. He said that they plan to start the search for that individual shortly.

Winfree said that this additional certified officer brings the total number at the department to about 75. He said the main difference between certified and non-certified is the type of training one undergoes before becoming an officer. He said that they have to go through the entire hiring process at the Cookeville Police Department, and then undergo additional state training.

“After you’re hired if you have not been through the Academy you would attend one of the academies that is recognized,” Winfree said. “The one we send most of our officers to is the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy down in Donaldson. That is presently a 12-week program. And once they graduate from the Academy, they would also come back and either before they go or after, they would attend our 14-week Field Training Officer program. And then they are on probation for a year here, and that’s the process of becoming a certified officer.”

Winfree said that officers currently do a great job wearing many hats and doing different things to help the department. He said that having someone designated to do accreditation compliance checks will help officers to turn more focus toward work in the community.