Lake Region State College Peace Officer Training program will hold two graduation ceremonies for its summer academies this week.
Ceremonies for the 13 Grand Forks academy graduates will take place at 11:00 am Wednesday in Empire Arts Center, Grand Forks. The West Fargo academy will graduate 18 students. Their event will be 11:00 am Thursday in West Fargo High School.
In the West Fargo academy, 15 students have already been offered conditional jobs in law enforcement throughout the region. Ten students from the Grand Forks academy also have offers.
This is the first year LRSC has offered its academy in West Fargo in partnership with West Fargo Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and other area agencies. The Grand Forks academy has been running each summer since 2009.
“These summer academies give LRSC the opportunity to bring the program to different areas of the state and help meet the employment needs of agencies in those areas. The partnerships with area agencies make these academies a reality,” said John Maritato, director of the LRSC Peace Officer Training program.
The Peace Officer Training Program (POTP) 14-week rigorous training program that allows an individual to become a licensed peace officer in the state of North Dakota upon successful completion of the program and passing the ND POST exam. The program has nearly a 100 percent employment rate for graduates who pursue positions as full-time police officers in North Dakota.
Since starting in 1987, LRSC’s Peace Officer Training program has graduated more than 1,300 students.