County Sheriff Looks to Fill Open Correctional Officer Positions

Barnstable County Sheriff Jim Cummings

BOURNE – The Barnstable County Sheriff’s office is looking for new correctional officer recruits.

An 11-week training program will start in January to prepare recruits for working as officers at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility in Bourne.

Special Sheriff Jeff Perry says they are a little shorthanded.

“Over the last couple of years we’ve had quite a number of retirements,” Perry said. “We’ve lost some of our correctional officers to the Vermont State Police. We lost a handful to the Massachusetts State Police. We lost a couple to Sandwich police.”

Perry said their workforce is down to the number where they are starting to see an increase in overtime and difficulties filling shifts.

Recruits will be drilled with physical training and classroom work. Director of Training Peter Monteiro said the training program starts every day just like any other police academy.

“Every morning they are going to PT. Every morning they are going to be out – what we call on the line,” Monteiro said. “We are going to give them commands. We are going to break them down.”

Monteiro said mental toughness is required for anyone working as a correctional officer.

Classroom work will be held from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then trainees would go back outside for more physical training.

In the classroom, trainees will learn how to handle and fire a firearm, defensive tactics and interpersonal communication skills.

Students will also learn fire safety, civil liability report writing and all the policies and procedures at the facility.

“It’s roughly the same thing as a police academy,” Monteiro said. “It’s a little bit shorter time frame.”

Perry said the training is second to none.

“They are the best in the business at training new officers and we’ve had other counties send their new correctional officers to join our academies from time to time,” Perry said.

Applications can be found here.

The deadline to apply is Friday, September 23.

An entrance exam will be held Saturday, October 1.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter