Samuel Rodriguez, Jesus Rangel and Shaymus Digiantomasso were sworn in to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Monday morning. As their new badges were pinned on their uniforms, they knew their new jobs came from hard work as volunteers.
"It was a good experience to actually be out there with some of the deputies," said Detention Service Officer Jesus Rangel.
Monday these three men are spending the day in an orientation class learning about county policies. But starting Tuesday they will be working as detention services officers, managing visitors in and out of the jails and controlling the metal detectors and other security measures.
To prepare him for the job Rangel had been a volunteer on patrol for several months in Sheriff's Office Porterville Division. Digiantomasso and Rodriguez spent several years as explorers.
Rodriguez volunteered in the Sheriff's Office Explorer Program for 6 years. His father and grandfather worked in law enforcement so he knew working in the Sheriff's Office was in his career path. Volunteering as an explorer and getting firsthand experience literally paid off for him.
"It's actually great I was explaining to other explorers you never know how much it's worth until you get a job you've been striving for," said Detention Services Officer Samuel Rodriguez.
"They competitively test against 50-60 others to obtain the test they had. And their knowledge and background of the department probably helped them quite a bit," said Lt. Keith Douglass with the Tulare County Sheriff's Office.
Shaymus Digiantomasso says a number of his friends haven't been able to find a job in today's tough economy. He hopes to turn his new job into a lifetime career as a Sheriff's Deputy. "This is a great benefit and I feel so lucky I was given his opportunity... It's exciting I'm ready to start"
