PCSD deputy humble after ILEA honors

Beginning his 15 weeks at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy late last year, Putnam County Sheriff's Deputy Riley Houghton wasn't looking to make a name for himself.

The rookie police officer was just wanting to make it through.

Courtesy photo/Scott Stockton Addressing the subject of ethics in law enforcement, Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Class President Riley Houghton addresses his 125 classmates during the Feb. 26 graduation ceremony. A new deputy at the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Houghton also administered the oath of office to his classmates.

"I just went there with the mindset of being a fly on the wall and helping people when I can," Houghton said.

A good leader is hard to hide, though, and instructors and classmates thought they saw one in Houghton. First it was the drill instructors making him a squad leader.

And then as the student vote for class president approached around the 10th week, some of Houghton's classmates began encouraging him.

"A couple of classmates said, 'Hey, you should run for president,'" Houghton said.

It was a successful run for president, one that culminated with Houghton delivering the graduation address to his class as well as swearing in his 125 classmates.

Houghton also received the inaugural Joshua Chamberlain Leadership Award, presented by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. A plaque with Houghton's name will remain on display at the ILEA facility in Plainfield.

It's all a part of Houghton's journey from a quiet, unassuming cadet to a class leader who maintained those unassuming qualities.

"At first, i just wanted to get through it," Houghton said. "But I decided that I was going to be there 15 weeks and make the best of a challenging situation."

Thinking of his own family, Houghton decided he owed it to the people he serves to be a better officer.

"I thought that if my family needed help, I'd want the best officer I could have," he said.

This mindset played into Houghton's choice of speech topic -- ethics in law enforcement. A pair of ethics classes at the academy as well as the influence of the leadership at PCSD played into Houghton's choice.

"That's just kind of what Sheriff (Scott) Stockton and Col. (Phil) Parker have stressed about what's important in law enforcement," Houghton said.

For his part, Stockton was greatly pleased at the choice.

"It was an excellent speech and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the topic was ethics, given previous situations in the department," Stockton said.

But it also speaks to the process Stockton and Parker have attempted to implement at the sheriff's department. It's an exhaustive system that has produced Houghton and Deputy Jacob Harrington, who was also part of the ILEA class, as well as Deputy Anthony Brown, who recently started at the academy. Stockton and Parker are also hoping for good things from two officers they are about to hire.

"I was proud of Riley and Jake that they made it through what I call our gauntlet," Stockton said.

Parker said the two deputies' performance at ILEA is a validation of the process.

"It is blind to who you are. It is simply about what you are," Parker said. "With Riley and Jake's performance, it validates the hiring process."

In Houghton, the process seems to have produced a humble sort of leader.

"I think a lot of the reason we take the job is to have a servant's heart and just serve the people of the county," Houghton said.