Answering Demand for Law Enforcement Training
Fourth academy added for recruits
In an effort to meet growing demand, Fox Valley Technical College will add a fourth law enforcement training academy starting in 2024.
The decision comes as the June academy and fall academy are already full with 32 recruits plus each academy also has agencies on a waitlist.
“We’re in week 11 of this academy and seven agencies have come in prior to the start of class and said, ‘Hey, please come and work for us,’” says Tim Hufschmid, director of the Law Enforcement Academy. “The demand is high.”
By adding this additional academy, Tim says there will only be 21 days in 2024 (excluding weekends and holidays) when an academy isn’t running at the FVTC Public Safety Training Center. And, there will be 46 weeks in 2024 when two academies will be running simultaneously.
Staffing the academies takes time and coordination as 90% of the academy is taught by adjunct instructors who are still working in their profession.
“The recruits, they have people who are working in the field on a continual basis—subject matter experts—and they’re the ones that are teaching in the academies right now,” Tim says.
The academy trains both self-sponsored recruits and those who are sponsored by their employer.
Local media recently reported on the additional academy >>
WBAY-TV: FVTC opening more courses for an increase in public safety demand
WLUK-TV: High demand pushes FVTC to add 4th police recruit academy despite officer shortage
Spectrum News1: Helping to meet the demand for law enforcement officers