The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has introduced a new mentorship program in an effort to support new employees during their transition into law enforcement.
The Overwatch program pairs new hires with senior officers where they can develop a relationship with someone they can look toward for support and knowledge.
“Most people understand how stressful a law enforcement career is; our goal is to provide not only the physical equipment for our team members to do their jobs but also personal support for our men and women,” said Sheriff Gerald Couch.
The mentors in the program are all employees of the sheriff’s office and have completed an agency training program. The mentee develops a relationship with a senior officer whom they can lean on for support and knowledge. The aim is to help new employees feel more comfortable navigating the start of their law enforcement careers.
The Overwatch program has been in the works for over a year and has already trained 30 mentors.
“We believe the senior officer – or mentor – will also benefit from the program, gaining new perspectives from our most recently hired employees and also developing leadership skills,” said Sheriff Couch.
HCSO officials believe the program will benefit the agency by promoting healthy employee development and ultimately boosting recruitment and retention.
