Kalamazoo Valley Police Academy Graduation Slated for May 11

News provided by

Kalamazoo Valley Community College

May 03, 2018, 09:00 ET


KALAMAZOO, Mich. (PRWEB) May 03, 2018 -- Twenty people - 18 men and two women - will walk the stage Friday, May 11 as graduates of Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s 86th Police Officer Training Academy.

Twelve of the graduates of the academy were sponsored by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and will join the force and begin working as public safety officers for the city of Kalamazoo following graduation. Western Michigan University Police Department, Sturgis Police Department and the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department each sponsored one candidate during the academy and they will begin serving their respective communities following graduation.

Graduates from the academy enjoy the highest employment rate in the state. A total of 92+ percent of alumni are employed in the field, compared to a statewide average of approximately 70 percent, according to the Director of Kalamazoo Valley’s Law Enforcement Training Center Paul B. Bianco.

“Kalamazoo Valley’s Police Officer Training Academy is recognized as one of the leading police training facilities in the State of Michigan, we consistently graduate well trained and disciplined future police officers,” Bianco said.

There is currently a state-wide shortage of certified and qualified police officers. The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) website shows more than 100 agencies throughout the state hiring either part-time or full-time officers.

Graduation takes place at 3 p.m. in the Dale B. Lake Auditorium on the college’s Texas Township Campus and is open to the public. The Honorable Michael McKay of Van Buren County’s 7th District Court is the guest speaker as chosen by the Cadet Class.

The next Police Officer Training Academy at Kalamazoo Valley begins August 20 and generally runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with some weekends as well for 16 weeks at the Law Enforcement Training Center located on the Groves Campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College. For more details and an application packet, visit http://www.kvcc.edu/police.

Erin Dominianni, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, http://www.kvcc.edu, +1 269.488.4445, [email protected]