Every day, in all 67 counties around the Commonwealth, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs work to protect the public and keep communities safe. Since the turn of the century, all of them have had one thing in common: They were trained at Penn State through the Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Training Program.
For the past 25 years, since the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) selected it back in 2000, the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI), part of Penn State Outreach, has been the sole administrator of the training program.
Since then, all 5,666 of the newly hired sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in the state have been trained through the program, either through a 19-week basic training program or a 2-week waiver course. The program features 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.
After graduation, those sheriffs and deputies served their home communities, thanks to the tools they received at Penn State.
Steve Shelow has overseen JASI’s many law enforcement and criminal justice programs as director since 2015.
“We are proud of the strong partnership we have had with PCCD for the past 25 years in administering this training program,” Shelow said. “Over those years, the team at JASI has worked to help provide every sheriff and deputy sheriff who has gone through our training program with the tools they need to improve and protect their community. This falls right in line with Outreach’s commitment to serve Pennsylvania, by making an impact in every county in the Commonwealth.”
A big undertaking
Looking back, former JASI director Don Zettlemoyer let out a little chuckle as he remembered getting the green light from Outreach leadership to bid on the program to bring it to Penn State’s University Park campus in 2000.
“I am sure they had no idea what they were getting into,” said Zettlemoyer. At the time, PCCD was looking to expand the program, previously held at Dickinson School of Law before it completed its merger with Penn State, from a 4-week training over the summer to a 14-week training program that ran multiple times throughout the year.
This would mean feeding, housing, and training deputies in training every Monday through Friday throughout winter, spring, summer, and fall. This was a new challenge for JASI, which at the time was administering a few law enforcement training programs, but nothing on the scale of running a multi-month residential training program.
“It was a big undertaking, and I don’t know if there was a lot of skepticism that we would get it, but once we did, we hit the ground running,” Zettlemoyer said with pride. He said the power of Penn State, with its vast resources, was instrumental in doing so. “I think that is just the way that Penn State responds. We had a lot that we needed to get done that we didn’t know how we were going to do it, but our team was able to network and figure it out.”
As an example, Zettlemoyer remembers searching for a driving course for deputies to learn transportation skills. He learned the Penn State College of Engineering had a course thanks to its work with the Department of Transportation. It turned out to be a perfect solution and serves as just one example of Penn State partnerships that continue to make the program strong.
“That shows how Penn State had the resources needed. We didn’t even realize, when we started, all the resources that were there that we discovered over time. I think that was part of it. Penn State is just a well-resourced institution that is well-regarded and centrally located,” Zettlemoyer said. “And then, when we did it, it showed that we could reach out and do big things.”
One of the first hires he made to get the course off the ground was, naturally, a Penn State grad. Bob Stonis, a retired lieutenant with the Philadelphia Police Department, had taught a few courses for JASI over the years before he was hired as the training program’s first director. He stayed for 16 years, glad to be back in Happy Valley, but he knew right away he had a lot of work to do quickly.
“I think I had 30 days until that first class,” Stonis said, looking back. “There is a certain sense of pride that we accomplished it, but you didn’t have time to think about it then. It was, ‘Let’s move on to the next class, and then the next class, and the next class,’ and you start to develop an instructor base and everything. Now, that I sit here and think about it, I’m like, ‘Holy moly, how did I ever get that done?’”
The hard work paid off. Through their tenures, Zettlemoyer and Stonis saw the program expand to the nineteen-week format that exists today and build a strong, steady group of expert instructors that delivered a consistent and high-level training program that made an impact on every community across the Commonwealth.
“That was one of the things we tried to stress to the instructors, that you’re not just having an effect here in Centre County, you’re doing it throughout the entire state,” Stonis said. “You have all 67 counties up here, so it was kind of an awesome responsibility.”
Don Numer, the supervisor of the program for PCCD, was instrumental in expanding the training program, which facilitated the move to Penn State. He has worked with JASI through the years and said he has been impressed with how they have continued to innovate and grow the program.
“I have to say, Penn State and the Justice and Safety Institute have always made an effort to look at how they could improve the program and streamline it. They are the ones with the ideas,” said Numer. “Maybe I am biased, but I I think that our training program is right up there with some of the best training programs in the state, and for no small part, that is because of JASI and the support of our board.”
Through the years
Numer’s praise of the program has been echoed by the folks who would know best: the deputies and sheriffs who have benefited from the training over the years.
Back in 2016, the 50th class of deputies graduated from the program, and Centre County Sheriff Bryan Sampsel, a 2004 program alumnus, was on hand to watch. At the time, he said the training program helps deputies prepare for their daily responsibilities.
“The facilities and training are fantastic, and I’ve learned a lot from the civil and criminal aspects of it,” said Sampsel. “You can see the transformations in deputies from when they start to when they finish the program. I’ve seen a 100% change in their confidence and abilities to do their jobs.”
That preparation was vital to Noah Brooks, a 21-year-old deputy from Huntingdon County who went through the academy in 2017.
“I always wanted a job in law enforcement, and the academy’s done a great job preparing me to give back to my community,” Brooks said at the time. “I grew up in Huntingdon County, and there’s a lot of people I want to help.”
In 2018, Joe Kristobak from Lebanon County said the training program had prepared him as he transitioned to his new role after a 25-year career as an educator.
“The staff and instructors have been fantastic,” said Kristobak, who was looking to stay active after retirement. “It’s been very rigorous. This has been the most difficult thing, mentally and physically, that I’ve ever done. They’ve done an excellent job teaching and holding everyone to a high standard.”
That same year, Abigail Baptiste, from Carbon County, said she always wanted to work in law enforcement and said the training would allow her to help her community.
“I want to be a positive force and protect people,” she said. “I want to let them know they’re safe in their own community and environment.”
This fall, the 72nd class of deputies walked across a Penn State stage after completing the basic training course. Class vice president Alex Cameron from Northampton County said the program prepared him to make an impact in his home community.
“It is nice to be able to represent my community, where I grew up, in a positive manner and be able to go out there and be a positive role model for kids and even adults. Just changing people’s perspectives on law enforcement, I think, is a win,” Cameron said.
Pride in the program and its future
After 32 years with PCCD, Numer watched his last class graduate from the program during that November graduation. He plans to retire in 2026, leaving behind a legacy that he believes will continue to flourish.
“I take pride in the program. I love what I did, and I love to see the deputies move forward in their careers and, more importantly, I love to hear feedback from the sheriffs that they move forward because of the things the academy has done and the board has done,” Numer said. “I hope that it does continue to grow and remain the successful program it is currently.”
David White, a Penn State grad who served thirty-one years in the State College Police Department, now leads the program as training director. He said he is grateful to be able to make an impact on new law enforcement officers as they start their careers with innovative and impactful training methods.
“As an instructor at the academy, you have the opportunity to contribute to improving our law enforcement profession by incorporating modern training methods, best practices, and strengthening community partnerships through well-prepared graduates,” said White. He believes the program will continue to make an impact on deputies around the state as it moves on to its next 25 years.
“I am proud to be a leader, educator, and mentor at the sheriff academy, helping to shape a small part of their professional careers,” White said. “I hope to pass my own law enforcement torch to the next generation of peacekeepers for years to come”