By David Hurtado
The image of law enforcement presented through Hollywood films like “21 Jump Street” are mostly fantasy and far removed from the real-life men and women who keep the peace.
Police officers are expected to be highly motivated and trained, serving as both mediators and peacekeepers when necessary. The Johnson County Regional Police Academy is one of three regional academies in the metropolitan area that provides basic law enforcement training for officers.
Jerry Wolfskill, associate vice president, Public Safety, said the Campus Police Academy was devised after a number of local sheriff and police chiefs became displeased with the number of credit hours offered at the state academy in Hutchinson, Kansas. The building itself was completed in 1972 in response to a lack of space on campus for the program. Funding for the academy at the college comes from tickets, rather than taxpayers.
“This building is not paid for by the taxpayers,” Wolfskill said. “It’s paid for by tickets that are written state-wide and that ticket money comes back to the Police Academy. The Police Academy, through the college, purchased certificate of participation bonds and that built this building. If you’ve ever had a ticket, some of the money you paid for a ticket went in to building this building.”
The Campus Police Academy requires more than 640 credit hours to graduate, compared to 500 hours by most other academies, according to Wolfskill.
Unlike other law enforcement programs, officers must already be serving with a police or sheriff’s department before they can be admitted into the academy. Kansas requires such classes within one year after employment. While at the academy, officers are considered on vacation and paid full time.
“In Missouri, you can actually pay your way through Metropolitan Community College in Blue Springs and then your certifiable if somebody hires you,” Wolfskill said. “[…] That’s the difference between Kansas and Missouri. In Kansas, they pay the officers to go through. In Missouri, you have to pay your own way to go through and there’s no guarantee of employment unless somebody hires you.”
During the 16-week program, students are taught firearms training, report writing, search and seizure as well as other skills. In addition to classroom instruction, students participate in simulated scenarios dealing property crimes and patrol stops, involving real officers acting as the perpetrators.
Although T.V. shows like “CSI: Las Vegas” are loosely based on real world cases, more often than not they are closer to fantasy than reality. Criminal Justice Day, which is sponsored by the Administration of Justice, allows students a chance to learn about the functions of the different law enforcement agencies. This year’s annual event took place on Sept. 18.
Ken Sissom, associate professor, Administration of Justice, said the Administration of Justice program was formed around 1970, but only started hosting Criminal Justice Day 10 years ago. Booths and displays this year included SWAT vehicles, crime analysis, a mobile command center and K-9 units.
“It’s the same reason we do it today,” Sissom said. “Ten years ago they decided to put on an event that would raise awareness of what our program is and what it’s about. This helps us to recruit students who may not have a major or decided what they wanted to do.”
Jason Hudson, officer, Olathe Police Department, spent 16 years working in the education profession, teaching one year at Hickman Hills, three years in Galena, Kansas and 12 years in the Belton, Missouri School District. Hudson is a student at the academy and will be graduating with the 108th class.
“I’ve always had an interest in law enforcement,” Hudson said. “Down home when I was in college I was a reserve officer. Now that I’m settled a little bit more, I decided to take the plunge and go from the backlines to the frontlines.”
The 108th class of the police academy will graduate Oct. 18.
Contact David Hurtado, features editor, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.