Atlanta - The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) voted unanimously yesterday to give full POST certification to the new law enforcement academies located on the campuses of six Technical College System of Georgia colleges.

Academy classes will begin in January at academies at Augusta Tech, Coosa Valley Tech, DeKalb Tech, Ogeechee Tech, Savannah Tech and South Georgia Tech.

The Basic Law Enforcement Academies (BLEA) project is a collaboration between the TCSG, POST and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC).  It allows new law enforcement officers to receive their basic training at a state technical college and obtain college credit at the same time.

The program also has the endorsement of the state Board of Public Safety, which has been working to craft a long-range solution to the need for more space for training of the state’s law enforcement officers.

Students attending BLEA classes will receive a technical certificate of credit (TCC) after completion of the program.  With the TCC in hand, the new law enforcement officers can choose to continue their education toward a degree in criminal justice.

“This is an outstanding collaboration between our technical colleges and the agencies that oversee Georgia’s public safety training programs,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. “These academies will open the door for every trainee to utilize their basic training as part of a seamless education process toward a two-year degree in criminal justice.”

GPSTC Director Dale Mann echoed Jackson’s comments and noted the positive impact that the program will have on public safety in Georgia.  “The Georgia Public Safety Training Center has partnered with the TCSG and POST to assist in opening up new opportunities for people who want to receive professional training in the public safety field,” said Mann.  “The Training Center sees this new venture as a positive, win-win situation for us, POST and the TCSG, with the ultimate winner being the citizens who will see more well-trained officers on the street making Georgia a safer place to live and raise families.”

As students enrolled in college credit courses, most trainees will be eligible to receive Georgia HOPE grants and federal Pell grants that will offset the cost of their technical college education.

The academy’s admission standards require all students to undergo a thorough background check and adhere to all rules as set forth by the state POST Council.  Students will also have to meet minimum scores in English, reading and math.

The program will take between 16 and 20 weeks to complete. 

Expansion of the program to more of the state technical colleges is possible as the program is evaluated for its level of success.  There are 33 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia.