CLETA director moving on: Stewart Curry honored at December law enforcement commencement

At CMC Spring Valley’s Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy’s fall commencement ceremony, CMC President Carrie Besnette Hauser recognized Stewart Curry, the academy’s program director, for his nine years of service. Those in attendance reacted by giving Curry a standing ovation.

Curry is leaving his position with Colorado Mountain College and CLETA at the end of December after nine years. He first came on board in 2014 as the academy’s assistant director and has been the director from July 2017 to December 2023.

The 2023 CLETA fall cohort graduated on Dec. 8 from its 16-week Colorado Peace Officer Standards & Training certification course. All active and reserve peace officers working in Colorado are POST-certified. CLETA, which has been training law enforcement officers for over 30 years, is a POST-accredited basic law enforcement academy.

Originally from Wisconsin, Curry moved to Colorado in 1996 after college. He graduated from CLETA in 2005 and became an adjunct faculty member while serving as a patrol officer with the Snowmass Police Department, later working as a sergeant with Basalt Police.

This December, Curry is transitioning to his new role as lieutenant with the New Castle Police Department, where he has served as a reserve officer since 2015. Nearly 300 CLETA graduates have become POST certified during Curry’s tenure.

Fourteen cadets graduated during the December ceremony, which featured commencement speaker Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione. All cadets are sponsored with jobs with the Pitkin County Sheriff, Basalt Police, Carbondale Police, Eagle County Sheriff, Steamboat Police, Hayden Police, Routt County Sheriff, Snowmass Village Police and Avon Police.