MCC Detention Officer Academy graduates prepare to serve their community
At the celebration are, back row from left, Major Melissa McCarter, Officer River
Traweek, Officer Stanley Murphy, Officer Luke Gambill, Sergeant Thomas Marshall, and
Sheriff Ward Calhoun III. Front row from left are Officer Sheila Hickman, Officer
Shawna Clayton, and Officer Anita Williams-Bailey. Sgt. Melissa Montoya also completing
the academy.
When Officer River Traweek put on his uniform for the first time, it felt like following
in his family’s footsteps.
His grandmother was a police dispatcher, and many relatives served in the military or law enforcement.
Now, after completing Meridian Community College’s Detention Officer Academy, Traweek said he’s proud to carry on that tradition.
“I wanted a job that not only benefits me as a person but also lets me give back to my community,” said Traweek, who works the C-shift from 10:45 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Lauderdale County Detention Facility. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve truly found my calling.”
Traweek joined fellow Lauderdale County detention officers, including Sheila Hickman, Stanley Murphy, Luke Gambill, Thomas Marshall, Shawna Clayton, Anita Williams-Bailey, and Melissa Montoya, in the College’s Detention Officer Academy.
The academy is required for all detention officers in Mississippi and includes 96 hours of training for adult officers and 24 hours for juvenile officers. Participants must be employed by a state detention facility.
For Hickman, working in law enforcement came unexpectedly but with purpose. “I was substituting, and a friend told me the sheriff’s department was hiring,” she said. “I applied and got the job. I believe by faith I was led to this,” she said
Murphy said his original plan was to go into patrol work. “Then I got a call from the detention facility,” he said. “I thought I’d give it a try. They interviewed me, and we went from there.”
The MCC Detention Officer Academy, required for all detention officers in Mississippi, covers topics such as jail liabilities, booking and admissions, court documentation, medical and mental health issues, and defensive tactics.
Instructor Major Melissa McCarter, who has led the academy since 2016, said the recent class performed well. “They’ve done really well,” Montoya said. “We meet five hours a day, four days a week. That’s a lot of time and effort, and they’ve learned an abundance of material. They should be proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
Hickman said the training reinforced what she already practices daily. “It’s building on what we already know and making us more alert to our job,” she said. “Safety is first — the main goal is getting home safe.”
Some of the graduates said the training deepened their understanding of what it means to work in corrections. “People don’t really know what correctional officers do on the inside,” Hickman said. “We’re dealing with people who’ve made bad choices, but they’re still people. This job teaches us to see them that way.”
Murphy said he follows a simple motto: “Be better than I was yesterday. This training gives you a new perspective and helps you do your job a whole lot better.”
McCarter said MCC plans to offer another academy in the spring and hopes to expand the program to include officers from surrounding counties.
“I’m proud of what I have learned,” Traweek added. “I’m proud of what I’ve gained.”
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/workforce.