Twelve students are set to graduate December 6th from LRSC's Grand Forks Peace Officer Training program.
The ceremony will take place at 11:00 am in the Grand Forks Public Safety Center.
This is the 113th graduating class for the Peace Officer Training program. Lake Region State College has delivered its Peace Officer Training program in Grand Forks since 2010. Similar academies run each summer in West Fargo and each spring at the LRSC Campus.
John Maritato, director of the LRSC Peace Officer Training program, said partnerships with area and state law enforcement make these programs possible.
"There is a strong need for peace officers throughout the state. When we can partner with local agencies to deliver the program in other areas of North Dakota we can better address the workforce need,” he said.
The Peace Officer Training Program (POTP) allows an individual to become a licensed peace officer in North Dakota. The program has nearly a 100% employment rate for graduates who pursue positions as full-time police officers in North Dakota. It is a 14-week rigorous training program where students complete physical fitness training every morning and classroom hours from 9 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday. Instructors cover a variety of topics ranging from crime scene processing to North Dakota criminal law.
Lake Region State College is the only college in the state authorized to deliver a North Dakota POST basic curriculum. The college began training peace officers in 1987 and has graduated around 2,000 license eligible students since that time.