The first phase of the 2021 academy will take place from May
12 through Aug. 20, with the second phase running from Aug. 23 through Sept.
17. In the first phase, recruits learn about the New York State Vehicle and
Traffic Law, DWI detection, essential response to calls for service and
investigative services, and much more. Phase two covers qualification courses
and requires recruits to have been hired by a police agency.
Session Director and Chief of the University Police
Department at Alfred State Scott Richardson said the academy is constantly
adapting and evolving. He noted that the police academy’s Advisory Committee,
which includes law enforcement officials throughout Allegany, Steuben, Livingston,
and Monroe counties, meets regularly to discuss current trends in law
enforcement, what they are seeking in their police officers, and ways to
improve the academy.
“We meet with every recruit and every instructor at the
conclusion of our academy and conduct a debrief – what went well, what do we
need to improve on,” Richardson said. “This allows us to make changes so that
we will be the academy of choice for law enforcement departments across the
state. I think it is extremely important for our academy to be in tune with the
current industry standards and to make sure our recruits are trained in these
standards so they can be properly prepared to serve their communities and be
professional, well-trained police officers.”
Organizers will implement changes for the upcoming academy
in May 2021, Richardson said. This includes adding courses with an emphasis on
community policing, procedural justice, fair and impartial policing, and duty
to intercede to name a few.
“Our plan is to look into a virtual reality training system,
which will allow us to go from the classroom right into the hands-on
application of the subject matter,” Richardson said. “This system will also
allow us to train other police departments, as well. Each year we are hosting
more and more police trainings here at Alfred State with the goal of becoming a
regional police training facility.”
Wendy Dresser-Recktenwald, Alfred State’s chief of staff,
said, “We constantly sit at the table and discuss how to do what we are doing
better. We have a great team in our advisory partners, Chief Richardson,
Academy Assistant Director Chief Amidon, and our Chief Diversity and Inclusion
Officer Dr. Mel Chambliss, who has been ‘hitting the ground running’ reviewing
the curriculum and making recommendations to improve the academy. Dr. Chambliss
has already been asked to be a speaker on panels on diversity in law
enforcement. The move to hire him was one of the best decisions we have made,
and he will be an integral part of the third academy.”
ASC Police Academy organizers recognize this is a difficult
time to recruit people into law enforcement careers with the current unrest
over law enforcement, Dresser-Recktenwald said. However, she said they are
“embracing the dividedness about law enforcement and talking about how to lead
the new generation of police officers who will be a compassionate part of the
solution.”
“What will that look like, and what do we need to do in an
effort to move the needle in a positive direction? We know it takes a community
and we believe our SUNY law enforcement officers are leaders in diversity and
working with diverse groups,” she said. “We believe our local law enforcement
officers in our surrounding counties are leaders in rural law enforcement,
dealing with people by treating them with respect; proactively leading in a
positive way. We also are careful to remember that law enforcement is a
dangerous job and we need to train them to be acutely aware that they are
putting their life on the line every time they go to work. The key is how to
teach them to balance all sides that lead us to the current issues in law
enforcement.”
Dresser-Recktenwald also noted that each action organizers
take is strategic and every change made will make the Alfred State Police
Academy a leader among law enforcement academies.
To make sure that recruits are in top physical condition
when the next session begins, the Alfred State Police Academy is partnering
with the Hornell YMCA on a new P-Fit program. Set to kick off Jan. 26, this
program will be another tool to help cadets be successful in the Alfred State
Police Academy.
“We lose a few recruits every year because of the physical
fitness standards for law enforcement, and we don’t want to do that,”
Dresser-Recktenwald said. “I have seen great recruits who would make incredible
officers get bounced out over the physical fitness requirements, and that
doesn’t sit well with me. We have a duty to do better and provide our recruits
one more opportunity to prepare for their future career.”
The P-FIT program will be open to current law enforcement
officers, as well, Dresser-Recktenwald said.
“Hopefully it will be a service they continue to use as they
progress with their career,” she said. “The academy requires a level of
physical fitness to succeed, and the P-Fit program is a concerted effort to
help support that prior to attending the academy. We have just started
discussing a more comprehensive career services tool that will support our
recruits as they prepare for the civil service examinations with resume
writing, and interview preparation.”
Richardson noted that the program will also include sections on nutrition and stress relief to assist with their overall health and wellness.
The cost of the academy is $5,000 and the cost of the P-Fit
program is $550. Police academy recruits who enroll in the P-Fit program will
be able to deduct the cost of the fitness program from the overall cost of the
academy and will also receive a reduced YMCA membership. Additionally,
on-campus housing is available at a discounted price of $50 per week.
Additionally, Alfred State is accepting donations to support
the Police Academy Scholarship Fund. To donate, visit www.AlfredState.edu/Give,
select “give,” and then choose to restrict funds to the “ASC Police Academy
Scholarship Fund.”
For more information and to apply to the Alfred State Police
Academy, contact CCET at CCET@AlfredState.edu or Tammy Edwards at 607-587-4017.
