SAN ANTONIO - The Bexar County Sheriff's Office is increasing the number of training hours for deputies and supervisors.

"We're looking to get as much information into your brains as possible. Information that's going to help you stay alive," said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar as he addressed a new class of cadets.

Sheriff Salazar calls it a new era of training. All deputies will be required to complete 40 hours of in-service training each year and supervisors an additional eight.

This is an increase over the 24 hours deputies received in the past.

"You definitely want the best trained deputies that you can possibly put out there. I think it's something that I need, but more importantly it's something the taxpayers need and deserve," Salazar said.

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As two new cadet classes start, those deputies in training will also see more class time.

Detention training will be bumped up from seven to 10 weeks to 11 weeks and patrol cadets up to 17 weeks.

"There will be a lot of tactical type training, reality-based tactical training, mental health training, de-escalation of force. It's a whole lot of new subjects we'll be able to cover," Salazar said.

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The Sheriff said they'll be incorporating lessons from real situations in the field into their training - including those from the recent death of 6-year-old Kameron Prescott.

"Certainly while we're very new into the investigation in this latest shooting, as things come to light and as we're learning things from them, we'll be incorporating them into our training," said Salazar.