A first-of-its-kind police academy led by the University of West Georgia’s 大学学院 与 Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) honored its first cohort recently, as 13 graduates celebrated completion of the program in a ceremony at 博彩平台推荐’s Townsend Center of the Performing Arts.

就职典礼的成员 Academic Law Enforcement Training Exchange (ALETE) class included 博彩平台推荐 students and cadets from the 维拉里卡警察局, 卡罗尔顿警察局 和 考维塔县警长办公室. Upon completion, participants are deemed 和平干事标准和培训 (POST) certified officers, which is the basic qualification for anyone seeking to work in the field.

“One of the things we are asked to do as public universities is fill talent pipelines that are going to contribute to society and effect positive change by filling the needs that so many law enforcement agencies have,博彩平台推荐主席Dr. 布伦丹·凯利, whose son Liam was among the graduates. “从我的角度来看, we are supposed to make great contributions to the state, and I believe this program is representative of the University of West Georgia doing that in the best way possible.”

The journey for the cohort began 12 weeks ago, with student cadets enduring physical training, 课堂教学, simulations and practice sessions – all with the goal of preparing them to be the best. The class triumphed over many obstacles, including passing rigorous Georgia law exams and successfully achieving a 100% pass rate in 紧急 Vehicles Operator’s Course and firearms.

Class President Thomas Kennedy of the 卡罗尔顿警察局 acknowledged the hard-working members of the law enforcement community, 其中 his fellow classmates were now included.

“Being able to overcome, adapt and push forward has been the foundation of this class,” he said. “博彩平台推荐的公民应该得到这样的待遇. We’ve been given the tools to be successful, and many of the people sitting with us today have laid that foundation. 博彩平台推荐的工作就是维护这一点. 让博彩平台推荐让他们感到骄傲.”

乔治亚州司法部长 克里斯·卡尔 delivered the keynote address during the ceremony. He spoke of the vital importance of public safety professionals and touted recent achievements, such as the creation of a human trafficking prosecution unit, which rescued and assisted more than 100 victims last year and has already obtained 26 convictions in 2023 alone; a gang prosecution unit, which indicted 85 alleged members over the past year; and preliminary grant awards totaling more than $83.5 million to improve community-level public safety measures and address staffing challenges, 其中 博彩平台推荐最近收到了1美元.0500万年.

“The only way to defend our communities 和 most vulnerable people in society is if there are people like you willing to serve,卡尔对同学们说. “Law enforcement across the state are actively recruiting and looking to add to their ranks. The knowledge and skills that you have obtained through this course will put you in high demand as you take the next step in your career. It’s through initiatives and programs like ALETE that we work to ensure you and all our men and women in uniform are fully equipped to do your jobs safely and effectively.”

在早些时候的一次采访中，博彩平台推荐 犯罪学 教授,博士. 戴夫·艾尔斯, who brokered the discussions between the university and GPSTC, explained how the program is a win-win situation for both employees and employers.

“If working in law enforcement is your goal, ALETE puts you far ahead of the rest of the population trying to begin their career,他解释道. “否则, you have to space the curriculum out over a four-year time period while you’re obtaining a degree. 也, if prospective officers come into an agency with a certification and a degree, 他们可以得到5美元,000 sign-on bonuses 和n get up to an 8 percent increase in base pay over someone who doesn’t have those credentials.”

Preston Marlowe – an ALETE cadet who also received his 犯罪学学士学位 在博彩平台推荐最近的 夏季毕业典礼 – said he chose to focus on law enforcement when a close friend was killed in 2021. He said the program is entirely different from the traditional college experience.

“There are things that you learn that cannot be taught in a classroom,” he concluded. “The ALETE program put me in a great position when I graduated because now I have both a college degree and POST certification. 也 being pre-service – not signed on with an agency – I was able to pay for the program with my scholarships and student loans. I have been applying to various law enforcement agencies since graduation, and I plan on putting myself in a position to prevent others from being victimized as much as I can.”

Brian Carmichael摄影