(Forsyth County, GA) Reinhardt University has partnered with the City of Cumming to offer discounted education to Cumming Police Department officers.
During a Cumming City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 15, Chief P.J. Girvan and Dr. Duanne Thompson from Reinhardt University (located in Cherokee County) presented the proposed agreement to the council.
Thompson is the head of the Criminal Justice Program at Reinhardt University and has 32 years of experience in the law enforcement field. He holds a Ph.D. in public safety leadership and did his dissertation on counterterrorism.
“When I started a long time ago, education was not at the forefront of law enforcement,” Thompson said. “Today, I’m trying to change that pendulum to make communities safer, trying to help officers increase their goal in their abilities inside the community.”
According to the Reinhardt University website, the Public Safety Institute was founded as a coalition with several cities in Cobb County, Cherokee County and other cities in the area. It offers an associate degree in criminal justice, an accelerated bachelor's degree in public safety management and leadership (PSL), a future master’s degree in homeland security and a certificate program in basic law enforcement training.
The programs are offered at no cost to the city and at a “significant” discounted rate to students. The courses are completely online and credits already earned can be applied to the programs for the students to graduate faster.
“We pretty much decided to do that due to the fact that officers have lives and families and work and shift change and everything else so it gives them the ability to complete their work and all the classes are taught by experienced law enforcement officials who have graduate degrees or doctorates,” Thompson said.
The Public Safety Institute is also a member of the Homeland Security Defense Educational Consortium Association (HSDECA) and the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC). Several members of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office are already involved in the program.
“We’re just trying to give another avenue for officers and for police departments to retain their people and invest in them as much as they invest in you when they go out and serve you every day,” Thompson said.
Chief Girvan also swore in Officer Trent Nielson during the meeting and introduced Sarah Brecher, who will begin her training at the police academy next month.
More information on the Public Safety Institute at Reinhardt University can be found at reinhardt.edu.
All Cumming City Council meetings can be watched on the City of Cumming Youtube Channel.
If you have a news tip in Forsyth County, contact Justine Lookenott at justine.lookenott@newsbreak.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @justalookenott.
Comments / 0