COLUMBUS– Officer Nicholas Stott, formerly with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, was awarded the Advanced Deputy Professional Law Enforcement Certificate by the North Carolina Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission in December.

Stott received the award on Dec. 9, 2016 when he was still an officer in Polk County. Stott recently left the sheriff’s office to take a position with Homeland Security. He left for Texas last month.

Stott worked in law enforcement in Polk County since 2006 for the sheriff’s office and the Town of Columbus. He worked closely with federal agents during his time with the Columbus Police Department.

Stott graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Arts in Peace, War and Defense with a concentration in national and international defense and security.

Established in 1983, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission’s purpose is to upgrade the capabilities, competence and proficiency of sheriffs’ departmental personnel through programs, standards and procedures involving employment, improvement, career development and retention of Sheriffs’ office personnel. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission currently maintains certification files on more than 25,000 deputy sheriffs, detention officers and telecommunicators, according to a press release sent this week from the N.C. Department of Justice.

“The purpose of the Advanced Deputy Professional Law Enforcement Certificate is to recognize the level of competence of sheriffs and deputy sheriffs serving North Carolina Sheriffs’ Offices, to foster increased interest in college education and professional law enforcement training and to attract highly qualified individuals into a law enforcement career,” states the press release. “The Advanced Deputy Professional Law Enforcement Certificate is the highest professional certificate awarded to sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in North Carolina. To qualify for the Advanced Deputy Professional Law Enforcement Certificate, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs must complete a combination of professional training and relevant education as well as meet minimum experience requirements.”