Clark State Community College will hold a graduation ceremony for cadets of the Peace Officer Training Academy at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 7, 2020, in the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center in downtown Springfield.
Paul Weber, commander of the Clark State Police Academy, said Clark State is sending well-trained cadets into the workforce, and he is confident they will make excellent police officers.
“The cadets spend 5-7 months of intense training to start a long and rewarding career in police service for our communities,” he said. “They complete over 730 hours of training. We are proud of their accomplishments and wish them all success as they move forward.”
Clark State’s state-of-the-art police academy training facility features a subject control/physical fitness center. A new practical training room is used for practical (hands-on) training for domestic violence, crime scene, DUI enforcement training and Milo System training (weapons scenario-based system to train officers in the use of force).
The Clark State Basic Peace Officer Training Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary in August of 2019.
Interested students should visit Clark State’s Police Academy office in the Brinkman Educational Center in downtown Springfield to pick up and complete the required OPOTA application and other required forms. A candidate is required to pass a physical assessment test, a physical, a drug screen and be finger printed for a BCI background check.
Clark State offers four peace officer training academies each year—four-month daytime academies and six-month evening academies are each held twice a year. Each academy is limited to 25 cadets. Cadets must be 21 years of age at the time they take the state certification exam. Cadets must also have a valid Ohio driver’s license, a high school diploma or GED equivalent and cannot have any felony or violent misdemeanor convictions.
Fall 2019 Police Academy Graduates
Beavercreek
Brandon Newton
Cedarville
Travis Shelby
Columbus
Blake Murphy
London
Brant Podojak
Mechanicsburg
Emily Taylor
Pleasant Hill
Adam Schaefer
South Vienna
Eric Zimmer
Springfield
Yeimy Melendez
Thomas Chase
Aric Cordell
Brandon Davis
Trent Jividen
Joseph Jochum
Amanda Rosales
Urbana
Kristopher Kitchen
West Jefferson
John Brenneman