Sheriff’s Detective Awarded Advanced Professional Law Enforcement Certificate

Staff Reports

LINCOLNTON -– Lincoln County Sheriff’s detective Darrell Hutchens was awarded the certificate from the North Carolina Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission.

Sheriff Tim Daugherty presented the certificate to Detective Hutchens at a recent staff meeting. Hutchens was awarded the certificate for a combination of 20 years of service and 1,752.6 law enforcement training points.

Detective Hutchens began his career in 1984 as a telecommunicator for the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office. He completed Basic Law Enforcement Training in 1985. He moved to the patrol and worked his way up to a detective with the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office. He came to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office full-time in 1997 until 2005. He went into private business but remained as a reserve officer. He came back full-time in 2007 and currently works as a detective.

The North Carolina Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission was established in September of 1983 with a purpose to upgrade the capabilities, competence and proficiency of Sheriff’s departmental personnel through programs, standards and procedures involving employment, improvement, career development and retention of the sheriff’s office personnel.

The purpose of the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate is to recognize the level of competence of sheriffs and deputy sheriffs serving in North Carolina, to foster increased interest in college education and professional law enforcement training and to attract highly qualified individuals into a law enforcement career.

The certificate is the highest professional certificate awarded to sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in North Carolina. To qualify for the Advanced Professional Law Enforcement Certificate, officers must complete a combination of professional training and relevant education and meet minimum experience requirements.