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Student officers take advantage of new university program
Published 11:00pm Wednesday, August 22, 2012Three newly-certified student police officers are helping to keep Troy University students safe as part of the university police department’s new Student Officer Certification Program.
John Wayne Lambert, from Jack; Matthew Bond, a senior from Red Level; and Alaina Arnold, a graduate student from Atmore, just received their Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission certification.
Another student officer, Klint Rhodes, a senior from Troy, will also receive training beginning in September.
“I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Troy University Police Chief John McCall. “This is something we started discussing and planning when I came to work here in May.”
The four students were hired in April and began work as rookie officers. They are criminal justice students and part-time employees that work 32 hours each week.
As part of the competitive program the officers were selected for, Troy University pays for their 12-week APOSTC certification course.
“We send them to the police academy and pay for their training and they agree, in turn, to stay two years and work with us,” McCall said. “When they leave us, they should have a graduate degree and post certificate which will make them very competitive in the job market.”
Students must be at least 20 years old to apply for the program. These four officers are the first to benefit from the newly-developed opportunity, but McCall said they won’t be the last.
“We were trying to find a cost effective way to increase our police presence on campus and help students on campus excel and we found that with this program,” McCall said. “They are good, hard working and young. They’re really eager to learn and eager to work. I am liking what I see.”
“We send them to the police academy and pay for their training and they agree, in turn, to stay two years and work with us,” McCall said. “When they leave us, they should have a graduate degree and post certificate which will make them very competitive in the job market.”
So we hire out of town people, pay their way, as long as they work their time out, knowing they will leave and this is better than hiring someone who will stay? HEY Bill O’Really, Jack Bauer or Oldskoolworker, I am sure your all dying to comment on this one!! I am sorry I forgot Observer and WDM, I am sure you all could see this is not quite right, huh?
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Sooooo….you think Troy State should require them to stay their entire career. Wow.
CHHS has to be proud to have you as an almnus. Did you go to Troy State also? I’m gonna say “yes”.
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Being a cop at Troy Univ.isn’t very high on anyone’s list.
This program gives the student a job while in school,the Univ.is getting the extra help they need at a lower cost.
Think it is a win/win situation for both the student and the school.Jack,Al. isn’t but about 14 miles from Troy.
The four students were hired in April and began work as rookie officers. They are criminal justice students and part-time employees that work 32 hours each week.
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Well stated WDM . Robbyn has all that in the article but as usual there are those who never fully read an article before they start complaining. Old saying “please engage brain before opening mouth”. As CLEARLY stated this is just another program offered by the University .
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Yes I agree with you all to, it is surely a valuable program but Troy University has many career jobs and people and seem to have a good department and it could be a career department. Maybe some of these will stay and not go anywhere else but I guess it is a first step for rookies. And yes I am an old old chhs alumni and proud of it as it was a good place around 40 years ago.
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It is wholly appropriate that Troy State hire its own graduates for jobs with the school. When it employs police officers it has to send them through APOST training just as any city, county or state law enforcement agency is required to do. Most departments try to condition sending a new officer through APOST training on remaining with the department for a length of time to justify the training expense – just as military scholarships come with a service obligation.
As long as the individuals pass the background checks and pass the academy it is legitimate.
The only objection I have to the campus police department is that the school’s administration has too much authority over it. A police department should be independent of the institution with the District Court and Circuit Courts serving as the check and balance system rather than deans and trustys and other individuals being in a position to do favors for certain students, fraternities, or financial supporters.
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