Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the graduation of
seven new deputy sheriffs from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy’s Deputy School, Session 154. After completing 10 weeks of intensive training in areas including: jail operations, legal studies, defensive tactics, firearms, court security and civil process, the graduates are now preparing to begin their duty assignments at the detention facility.
Deputy Joseph Prado distinguished himself as Class President and earned both the Thomas L. Shaw Award for character and the Director’s Award for Academic Excellence. Deputies Alana Conner and Josue Lopez also earned recognition for Excellence in Firearms. Congratulations to Deputies Ami Bahati, Alana Conner, LaDonna Durant, Josue Lopez, Jada Martin, Anelva Orellana Montano, and Joseph Prado as they begin their careers in Arlington County keeping the community safe.
About Mr. Thomas L. Shaw
This award is named in honor of Mr. Thomas L. Shaw and recognizes his 42 years of service to the Northern Virginia region in the Criminal Justice arena. In 1982, Tom Shaw retired after serving 20 years with the Fairfax County Police Department. During his police career, he served in a variety of different assignments and rose through the ranks to Major with the Fairfax County Police Department. Upon his retirement from the police department, he was named the Executive Director of the NVCJTA. For the next 18 years, he served as the Academy’s Executive Director, until his second retirement in the year 2000. He is widely remembered and respected for his tireless commitment to, and implementation of, rigorous training standards and high-quality education for law enforcement officers throughout Virginia. His entire law enforcement career was representative of three characteristics – Professionalism, Dedication, and Leadership.
