A group of 11 peace officers are prepared to join the North Dakota workforce.
Lake Region State College Peace Officer Training program will hold its 93rd class graduation Friday, April 26th at Minot State University. Graduation ceremonies begin at 11:00 am in the Aleshire Theater in Hartnett Hall (500 University Ave West).
John Maritato, director of LRSC’s Peace Officer program said the job market for peace officers continues to be strong.
“Law enforcement officers are needed throughout North Dakota and the U.S.,” Maritato said.
Currently in North Dakota there are approximately 30 job openings every day, he added. Eight of the graduates already have jobs after graduation in North Dakota.
“If a student passes the course successfully they will or be employed or close to having a job by the time they graduate,” Maritato added.
Some students earned their Peace Officer Training certificate while studying for a bachelor’s degree at Minot State University, enrolling in the collaborative program between the two institutions. Lake Region State College and the Criminal Justice Department at Minot State University created a partnership where Criminal Justice majors at the university can complete the peace officer training as part of their bachelor degree plan. Qualified students can plan their four-year Criminal Justice Degree Program and graduate with both a bachelor’s degree and academy certification.
“The relationships we have built with Minot State University and the law enforcement community in the region are wonderful and we look forward to this continuing in the future,” says Maritato.
The LRSC program has reciprocity with many states, so if a student attends the academy and decides to move to another state, chances are high that they can get hired.
Lake Region State College is the only college in the state of North Dakota authorized to deliver the North Dakota POST Board approved police academy. Successful completion of the program allows graduates to become licensable as peace officers in ND. Instructors for the Peace Officer Training program include law enforcement professionals from various law enforcement agencies.
Lake Region State College offers its one-semester peace officer training program in Devils Lake each fall, in Minot each spring, and summer academies in Fargo and Grand Forks. The summer academies will start mid-May.