The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office congratulated 11 new sheriff’s deputies at their graduation from the Allan Hancock College Basic Law Enforcement Academy this week.

The deputies, and seven classmates, completed a comprehensive California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), 862-hour course of instruction. The instruction included community policing, report writing, laws of arrest, search and seizure, firearms, ethics, investigation procedures, patrol techniques, arrest and control, physical training, CPR/First Aid, and emergency vehicle operations.

In a swearing-in ceremony prior to the commencement, Sheriff Bill Brown welcomed Daniel Abernethy, Oscar Covarrubias, Gregory Dominguez, Elias Gonzalez, Estanislao Gutierrez Jr., David Morrell, Marc Pyle, Jonathan Reyes, Ignacio Rios, Miguel Rodriguez, and Sergio Rodriguez-Gutierrez.

The ceremony was shared with the new deputies’ close family members, and included a badge-pinning event in which recruits have their badges pinned on their uniforms by a significant person in their lives — mothers, fathers and spouses. This shared moment marks the culmination of some six months of hard work by the recruits and unwavering support from family members.

During the graduation, recruits were honored with awards recognizing their achievements in specific areas: Deputy Estanislao Gutierrez was honored with the Leigh Horn Memorial Award for Most Improved; Deputy David Morrell received the Doug Odom Firearms Award; Deputy Daniel Abernethy won the Physical Fitness Award; and Deputy Elias Gonzalez received the Scenarios Award.

Those interested in careers in law enforcement or know someone who is, can visit SBSheriff.org to apply.