By Kirk Gollwitzer
kirk.gollwitzer@tryondailybulletin.com

At the Jan. 8 meeting of Columbus Town Council, two police officers with the Columbus Police Department received certificates of recognition.

Lt. Nicholas Stott was awarded the Advanced Law Enforcement certificate, which is the highest law enforcement certification offered by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. According to Chief Chris Beddingfield, the advanced certificate is awarded based on a combination of years of experience, formal college education and law enforcement continuing education training.

“The advanced certificate is a very prestigious and honorable achievement. It shows dedication and commitment on the officer’s part toward becoming a more highly trained and professional officer. It also helps the town by reducing liability insurance rates and adding credibility to the police department. Stott is the third fulltime officer of the department to gain this certification,” said Beddingfield.

Columbus Police Officer Ron Diaz received a Traffic Investigation Certificate. Requirements for successfully completing the North Carolina Justice Academy Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Certification program are to complete 500 hours of training focusing on traffic enforcement and investigation. Topics covered in the training program included traffic crash investigation, drug enforcement, Intoximeter, RADAR and field sobriety testing.