Local officers take part in VALOR safety training

DENMARK, Tenn. — Local law enforcement officers take part in more training on how to keep themselves and the public safe.

“It’s an overarching program with a local twist,” Richard Beary, a retired police chief, said.

The VALOR training program teaches all about safety.

“It teaches us more about our safety, not only our safety but the people we deal with’s safety, and the community’s safety as well,” Officer Patrick Cozart with the Jackson Police Department said.

The class is called survive and thrive. Wednesday was the survive portion, discussing how officers and deputies can stay safe in the field.

“Today (Thursday) is the thrive part. Today we talk about mental health, officer safety and we talk about good conditioning and we talk about those things that increase the officer’s professionalism,” Beary said.

Departments from West Tennessee and Mississippi attended the course, saying it helps to remember the basics.

“Because it’s a refresher. I mean as officers we get complacent, especially officers that are on the job every day over 20 years,” Donelda Arview, assistant police chief at the Alamo Police Department, said. “And it’s easy to just forget the simple things in law enforcement.”

More than 100 officers and deputies were at the West Tennessee Training Center Wednesday and Thursday for the VALOR training session.

Jackson police officers say their job is much more than just putting on the uniform.

“I think this program is very important for the newer officers coming on board, to learn about safety,” Officer Cozart said. “It’s not all about putting on this uniform and carrying a gun around — it’s about safety.”

Both officers said they’re looking forward to taking what they learned back to their departments.