Clark State Community College will hold Basic Peace Officer Training graduation services at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 13 at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, 275 South Limestone Street, Springfield.
Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin will offer opening remarks before the 24 graduate cadets are presented with their certificates.
Paul Weber, commander of the Clark State Police Academy said of the 24 graduating cadets, 10 have already been offered jobs. “Currently, there is a big demand for law enforcement officers at all three levels: city, county and state agencies,” said Weber. “Many officers have decided to retire and start other careers, opening opportunities for new graduates to start a career.”
Clark State offers four Peace Office Training academies each year; two 4-month academies are held during the daytime and two 6-month academies are held in the evenings. “Night academies start in January and June, while day classes start in March and August,” said Weber. “We limit each academy to 25 cadets, and the Clark State Police Academy has an 86 percent pass rate.”
The next evening academy session begins January 19, and the next day academy session begins March 14. Cadets must be 21 years old 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.
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 then required to get a physical and be finger printed for a BCI background check at the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. “Once all paperwork is in, and BCI sends an approval of the background check, the student is enrolled,” said Weber. “We can take students up to the week before the academy starts as long as the paperwork is all completed.”
Weber said the Clark State Police Academy offers excellent and affordable training for future police officers. “We have retired and current officers from various city, county and state law enforcement agencies who are highly-skilled experienced instructors,” he said. “Most retired instructors have over 25 years of law enforcement experience.” Weber also said Clark State supplies more equipment than other academies in the area at a significantly lower cost.
“The Clark State Police Academy offers an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a police officer, sheriff deputy or a state trooper,” said Weber. “We get candidates from as far away as Greenville, Jamestown, Columbus, Bellefontaine, Sidney and Washington Court House.”
Police Academy Graduates
Bellefontaine
Andrew Steven Vicario
Casstown
Brady Kane McMaken
Columbus
Colin Patrick O'Rourke
Fairborn
Robert E. Essex
Kody V. Phelps
Greenville
Krysten C. Wilson
Grove City
Christopher Nicholas Bankes
Huber Heights
Kenneth J. Faircloth
Ryan Brewer Ingle
London
Michael A. Orahood
Corbin James Quire
Mechanicsburg
Brandon Sconfienza
New Carlisle
Annissa D. House
South Solon
Charles Allen Butch Boyer
Springfield
Guillermo Bailes Lazala
Leo L. Banks
Michael D. Knotts
Jared M. Shoemaker
Colin Nathaniel DeSpain
St. Paris
Michael L. Kerns
Urbana
Donald Westley Kinman
Jacob Nathaniel Shaun McGuire
Xenia
Christopher S. Lauderman
Adrien Christopher Jones