By Richard Kerns
Tribune Staff Writer
KEYSER – Two officers from the Keyser City Police Department will be attending a Justice Department training seminar on missing persons thanks to a scholarship that covers virtually all of their expenses.
Keyser City Police Chief Karen Shoemaker, who applied for the assistance, said the intensive five-day conference also covers child abductions. “We don’t have the money to send our guys to Florida for something like this,” the chief said. “Without the scholarships, they don’t go.”
An avid and effective applicant for federal law enforcement grants, Shoemaker had been awaiting word from the Justice Department on the scholarship and decided to call about the status Monday morning. A receptionist asked her to hold the line, and came back with word that the
two had been approved.
“It covers airfare, lodging and even breakfast, everything except lunch and dinner,” she said.
The conference is scheduled for April 19-23 in Jacksonville, Fla. Attending from the Keyser Police Department will be officers Keith Anderson and Patrick Gladwin.
“They’re two of our young guys,” said Tom Roy, senior dispatcher for the department. “They’ve only been out of the academy about a year.”
Shoemaker said she and Assistant Chief Kip Ellifritz had attended a similar training program years ago, but their work is now largely administrative. The scholarship will allow active line officers to take the class, bringing the lessons-learned to the streets of Keyser.
Although the class will focus on missing persons an abductions, the instruction will apply to a broad range of police work. “You can apply the same strategies to any investigation,” the chief said.
The only wrinkle is that the conference occurs the same week that two other officers will be in Charleston obtaining certification for their K-9 units. Shoemaker said they department will manage.
“We’ll do what we have to do,” she said with a smile. “We’ve been short before.”
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By Richard Kerns
Tribune Staff Writer
KEYSER – Two officers from the Keyser City Police Department will be attending a Justice Department training seminar on missing persons thanks to a scholarship that covers virtually all of their expenses.
Keyser City Police Chief Karen Shoemaker, who applied for the assistance, said the intensive five-day conference also covers child abductions. “We don’t have the money to send our guys to Florida for something like this,” the chief said. “Without the scholarships, they don’t go.”
An avid and effective applicant for federal law enforcement grants, Shoemaker had been awaiting word from the Justice Department on the scholarship and decided to call about the status Monday morning. A receptionist asked her to hold the line, and came back with word that the
two had been approved.
“It covers airfare, lodging and even breakfast, everything except lunch and dinner,” she said.
The conference is scheduled for April 19-23 in Jacksonville, Fla. Attending from the Keyser Police Department will be officers Keith Anderson and Patrick Gladwin.
“They’re two of our young guys,” said Tom Roy, senior dispatcher for the department. “They’ve only been out of the academy about a year.”
Shoemaker said she and Assistant Chief Kip Ellifritz had attended a similar training program years ago, but their work is now largely administrative. The scholarship will allow active line officers to take the class, bringing the lessons-learned to the streets of Keyser.
Although the class will focus on missing persons an abductions, the instruction will apply to a broad range of police work. “You can apply the same strategies to any investigation,” the chief said.
The only wrinkle is that the conference occurs the same week that two other officers will be in Charleston obtaining certification for their K-9 units. Shoemaker said they department will manage.
“We’ll do what we have to do,” she said with a smile. “We’ve been short before.”
