MADISON, Wis. — Seventeen students graduated from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Academy on Aug. 16.
“Remember to serve justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Congratulations, you are a sworn law enforcement officer, and I am honored to stand on this stage before you,” said Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett as he welcomed graduates and their families.
Deputy Allison Tillema was among that academy’s seventh graduating class.
“It is very exciting, getting a new title and being able to celebrate with family friends and my class. It is a really exciting time for all of us,” said Tillema.
To become a deputy with the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, students are required to go through three phases of training:
Introduction and Non‐Emergency Response (200 hours/ 5 weeks)
Emergency Response (280 hours/ 7 weeks)
Investigations (200 hours/ 5 weeks)
Tillema said over that time she learned numerous skills and established strong relationships with her teachers and classmates.
“It is going to be sad to let the friendships go. We all have to go our separate ways, not only that but our instructors, seeing them day in and day out, that was super important to us,” said Tillema.
Tillema’s mother, Beth Munson, said becoming a deputy was her daughter’s goal for many years.
“This has been in her sight to do this for a long time and to watch her to accomplish small things along the way was amazing,” said Munson. “When you talk about compassion, humanity and so on, she is that officer that is going to use that so I think it is just a pretty exciting time but sure, there is fear.”
While Munson is excited for her daughter, she said she also worries about her.
“I think I live with it as her mom and everything she does scares me,” said Munson. “This job, her being a woman in law enforcement in the era we are in, is scary.”
Now that she has graduated, Tillema is headed into her jail training while some of her classmates are going straight into the job.
She said she is happy to help protect the community that she loves.
“It is exciting, it is nerve racking, it is all of the above, but I am sure the journey is going to be great and having 16 familiar faces from different agencies too is going to make it awesome in the end,” said Tillema.