The Jefferson Police Department has its new recruits starting their formalized training this year.

Police Chief Mark Clouse tells Raccoon Valley Radio one of his newest officers, Jamie Brenner, is currently in her third week of 16 weeks at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Des Moines. Due to the pandemic, Clouse points out the first 30 days of Brenner’s training is done online. She is expected to graduate from the academy by mid-April. Clouse says Brenner has been a great addition to his department, since the City Council approved to hire her this past November.

“Before she started the academy here, her training went remarkably well. She’s a very intelligent person and I have very confidence in the world that she is going to make a great officer for the City of Jefferson.”

The other new recruit, Officer Bohden Bigler, starts his ten-week training in Waterloo in April. Unlike Brenner, Clouse says Bohden has prior law enforcement experience and therefore will attend the shortened academy. 

“So he’s a little bit ahead of the curve on training and he got through that all fine (with our department). He is currently in a mid-shift position, which is overlap from days and nights, so he gets to work with the day officer and the night officer.”   

Clouse adds, there will be a period of time in April where he will be down those two officer positions, due to the overlap of each academy.