A Safer Place to Live
Students
in the law enforcement academy learn a variety of skills such
as survival tactics (above), and gun marksmanship and investigational
procedures (below).
Thanks to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Tanana Valley Campus Law Enforcement Academy, the state of Alaska is becoming just a little bit safer.
The 12-week academy is designed to provide students with basic police training which enables them to receive the Alaska Police Standards Certification. The certification makes them eligible for employment with the 21 state law enforcement agencies or 43 municipal police departments within Alaska.
Former Alaska State Trooper John Myers is the faculty coordinator of the academy, and additional training is provided by officials with the City of Fairbanks Police Department, the UAF Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the UAF Justice Department, the Fort Wainwright Provost Marshal and local attorneys.
TVC has offered four academies since it began in July 2001. The most recent academy ended May 16, 2003, with 18 students from around the state graduating. Myers said more than a third of the students in the program already had positions in security or law enforcement and were furthering their skills to obtain their certification.
Almost all of the graduates from the first four academies are currently employed in various law enforcement positions in Alaska. Graduates are serving as police chiefs in Chickaloon, Hooper Bay and Tanana and in Fort Yukon, the entire police force consists of academy graduates.
"Not only are we graduating successful students, we are also graduating diverse students," said Myers, who pointed out that in this year’s class four of the graduates were women, three were Alaska Natives, and one was Native American.
Students in the program receive nearly 500 hours of training and education in a wide variety of topics, including basic patrol procedures, marksmanship, arson investigation, report writing, major crime investigation, traffic accident investigation, search and seizure laws, DWI detection, domestic violence response and practical testing, cultural diversity and survival tactics.
"The communities within Alaska will benefit as well, as they will be served by highly skilled and well trained officers," Myers said. "We are excited that we have the opportunity to play a role in providing that type of safety and protection for the people of Alaska."