Columbus Police Chief Chris Beddingfield, left, presents the Law Enforcement Certificate of Training to Officer Chris Ruff on May 21 at the Columbus town council meeting. Ruff has spent more than five years and 1,000 hours of training with the Columbus Police Department to receive the certificate. The Law Enforcement Training Certificate Program was established by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission to assess and recognize the level of competency showcased by the state’s law enforcement officers. The program is also used to highlight the importance of college education, training and years of experience in addition to bringing in talented individuals seeking a career in law enforcement. (Photo submitted by Lt. Nicholas Stott)