SAVANNAH – The Peace Officer Academy at Savannah Technical College will hold a Commissioning Ceremony Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.  The ceremony will take place in the Eckburg Auditorium at the College’s White Bluff Campus.

Taking part in the ceremony will be Savannah Technical College’s new president, Dr. Kathy Love. She will be joined by faculty and staff from The Peace Officer Academy and members of the Peace Officer Academy’s Advisory Board to include representatives from local law enforcement.

In July, the Technical College System of Georgia announced that Savannah Technical College had been selected as one of six technical colleges to house a regional police academy.  

With the support of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies in Chatham, Effingham, Bryan and Liberty counties, the Peace Officer Academy at Savannah Tech was born.

“Partnerships with local law enforcement have been instrumental in the formation of the Peace Officer Academy,” said Vic Burke, department head for the criminal justice program at Savannah Tech. “On Friday, we will have an opportunity to celebrate the success of our shared vision.”

The Peace Officer Academy offers a 17-week technical certificate of credit in basic law enforcement that provides law enforcement training for those seeking certification through the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST).

Currently, the cohort program is a full-time, day-time commitment with the first cohort beginning this month. Students are selected through a competitive application process including a criminal background check and medical exam; additionally, they must meet minimum scores on the college’s placement examination.