2 Carson deputies finish POST training

Two Carson City Sheriff’s Office deputies graduated from the Nevada Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy on Thursday morning.

Deputies Michael Jerauld and Taylor Mieras were among those honored at the graduation ceremony at the POST building in Carson City. There were 28 officers from all across Nevada sworn in as Category I peace officers, meaning they had all of the training to serve as law enforcement officers.

Orlando Guerra, POST commander, talked to the graduation attendees about the difficulties law enforcement officers face today with negative media and perception.

“It takes a special human being (to be an officer),” Guerra said. “And the only thanks they often get is negative comments.

“But despite these negatives, we can count of them to serve and protect and that’s what we have here, 28 men and women who are willing to serve and protect. Let’s not forget to thank them for their service.”

POST Executive Director Mike Sherlock and Fallon Police Chief Kevin Gehman both spoke to the graduates to express their pride in the officers. Gehman told the officers being in law enforcement was more than writing tickets and arresting, it was about serving the community and upholding good character.

“No matter what a person of good character takes on, they will be successful,” Gehman said.

The class elected speaker, Pershing County Sheriff’s Office deputy Glenn Reed, also gave his parting advice to his classmates.

“School is not over my friends, the next few years will be learning and failures of these principles we have learned here,” Reed said. “The challenge I have for you: stay alert and avoid complacency, make a conscious effort to make a positive change and for God’s sake, please don’t end up on YouTube.

“I wanted to also share a piece of advice my first Field Training Officer gave me that stuck with me, ‘we have a front row seat to the greatest show on earth, cherish it.’”

Each graduate was presented with their certificate of completion and congratulations letters from national and state representatives before reciting their peace officer’s oath.

For the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Jerauld and Miera’s graduation marks a great day for the department, with two officers ready to serve on the streets, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.

“I am so, so proud of them and I couldn’t be happier that the two of them will now be going into our Field Training Officer program (to become patrol deputies),” Furlong said. “I am excited to see them get through the program and get to where they want to be. They both have the enthusiasm to do it and I am over the top pleased.”

Furlong said he has been waiting since day one for the two men to become POST certified and become patrol deputies.

“With Mieras, since day one, we knew that we had a street cop and we wanted him on the streets,” Furlong said. “He is just perfect: his attitude and leadership, everything about him.”

For Furlong and many other members of the department, Jerauld’s graduation was comparable to watching a child grow up. Jerauld has been with the Sheriff’s Office for several years, starting working for them as a civilian and advancing to a street deputy.

“I am so proud of Mikey,” Furlong said. “We hired him on as a civilian and he was so excited to get involved as a civilian with operations and seeing him get his certificate, I was scared because it is like having my own child grow up in front of my face.”

Both men had been working in the Carson City Detention Center before entering the 16-week POST Academy, and they will go right to the street patrol training when they return to work.

“I feel excited. I can’t wait to get ready and go to work,” Jerauld said. “It has been a long 16 weeks, we have worked hard and worked long hours, but it was worth it in the end.”

To complete the academy, each officer trained for 16 weeks, with 638 intensive hours of training.