WCSO LIEUTENANT GRADUATES FLORIDA SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION COMMANDERS ACADEMY
WALTON COUNTY, Fla— Walton County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant James E. Pitman, Jr. has graduated from the Florida Sheriffs Association’s (FSA) prestigious Commanders Academy.
Lieutenant Pitman was among personnel representing 36 Florida sheriffs’ offices from across the state in Class 17.
With over three decades of law enforcement experience, Lieutenant Pitman has served more than 25 of those years at WCSO, beginning his career in 1995 as an officer with the DeFuniak Springs Police Department before joining WCSO in 1999 as a Deputy Sheriff.
Throughout his tenure at WCSO, he has served in various roles including Field Training Officer, Drug Task Force member, Beach/Marine Unit Deputy, Patrol Sergeant, Criminal Investigations Sergeant, School Resource Commander/Lieutenant, Watch Commander, District Lieutenant as the Central District Patrol Commander, and currently serves as the North District Patrol Commander encompassing DeFuniak Springs, Mossy Head, Paxton, and Red Bay.
Lieutenant Pitman is deeply committed to public service and community engagement, and he proudly balances his professional responsibilities with his role as a dedicated husband and father.
The Commanders Academy is an exceptionally informative and educational experience, vital for the next generation of public safety leaders. The Commanders Academy has become recognized as the premier course of executive study for mid to upper-level criminal justice leaders like Pitman.
The core curriculum emphasizes leadership development, ethical decision-making, professional discipline, and key topics essential for upper-level law enforcement leadership.
Over the two-week academy, participants engage with more than 50 distinguished speakers and panelists—many of whom are active sheriffs—offering unmatched insight and experience. No other program in Florida delivers this caliber of executive-level training for law enforcement leaders.
In addition to successfully completing the training course, Commanders Academy Class 17 also raised $106,320 for the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. This generous donation will help support the mission of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches in preventing delinquency and in developing lawful, resilient, and productive citizens.