GPD to provide field training for Jacksboro officers

Graham Police Department will be providing field training for Jacksboro Police Department officers in an effort to help train and certify the department rebuilding its force.

The Graham City Council approved an interlocal agreement Thursday, Nov. 20 between the city of Graham and city of Jacksboro to assist in providing fully trained and certified police officers for JPD.

“GPD has officers who are trained as Field Training Officers, or FTOs, and each FTO provides the training necessary to enable certification as a police officer,” Graham City Manager Eric Garretty said. “Under this proposal, Jacksboro officers will come to Graham to work with our FTOs. This will assist the Jacksboro officers in gaining certification.”

Jacksboro Police Chief Jerry Penny reached out to Graham Police Chief Brent Bullock to get another set of eyes on his officers and an unbiased opinion on their abilities.

“Currently, I only have one field training officer. …Everybody probably knows we’re rebuilding the department. Whenever you’ve only got one field training officer it’s hard to train one officer with one officer, because they get comfortable with each other and the training officer might miss something whenever they’re training,” Penny said. 

Penny was sworn in as the chief of JPD in July after the resignation of the former chief along with the rest of the officers within the department. 

The JPD chief said they are still down five or six officers within their department, with one of those positions being the School Resource Officer currently being covered by the Jack County Sheriff’s Office.

Garretty said the interlocal agreement was reviewed by the city attorney and there will be no cost involved for either city and the city of Graham will have no liability for JPD officers training.

“(Jacksboro) City Manager Mike Smith and I see this is a great opportunity for the two cities to work together and support the law enforcement mission,” Garretty said. “The Graham chief of police and the Jacksboro chief of police both support this agreement.”

Under the draft interlocal agreement, JPD officers would be temporarily assigned to GPD for field training for certification. 

The chief of police of each department will work together to develop and implement the officer training program.

“When somebody starts a field training program, it’s basically an orientation at first, and then after that, they’re just basically writing. They’ve got a certain amount of workload assigned to them, and it’s just in different phases that they go through all the way until the end,” Bullock said. “...Within any field training program, safety is paramount. That’s what we just constantly hammer home, is safety.”

JPD officers that are assigned to GPD will be under the supervision and direction of a qualified Graham FTO while in Graham. 

“A Texas peace officer is a Texas peace officer from all over the state of Texas,” Bullock said. “As arrest powers, an officer outside of his jurisdiction can make an arrest on the breach of the peace or felony offense, but these officers from Jacksboro will never be alone. They’ll always have that (FTO) with them in which to act under that local authority.”

Trainees will be required to adhere to the policies, procedures and chain of command of GPD.

“Any disciplinary or performance issues of the trainees shall be reported to the Jacksboro Police Department and JPD shall be responsible for any investigation or discipline thereof,” the agreement states.

Jacksboro will procure and carry insurance protection of any liability for all claims and damages arising from the trainees of the services provided in the agreement.

The agreement is effective until Sept. 30, 2027 and can be renewed for consecutive one-year terms upon mutual agreement of Graham and Jacksboro. Either party may terminate the agreement with or without cause upon 30-days written notice.