Peace Officer Academy Fall Graduation is October 31

#1229

For Release: October 19, 2011

Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR

912.443.5512

SAVANNAH – Six students will graduate from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy at its graduation completion ceremony at 10:30 AM on Monday, October 31, 2011, in the Eckburg Auditorium on the Savannah Campus, 5717 White Bluff Road.

Two candidates are currently affiliated with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department. Several others are in various stages of application at local area agencies.

Each cohort selects a fallen officer for whom the graduating class will be named. This cohort selected Savannah Police Department Officer Willie Samuel Smith whose tour of duty ended on March 11, 1994.

Tybee Island Police Department Chief Robert (Bob) Bryson will be the keynote speaker. The blessing will be given by Pastor Travis Cowart, whose daughter graduated in the second cohort of 2010. The Honorable Kevin Street, graduate of the first cohort of 2009 will deliver the Oath.

This is the ninth group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated 115 P.O.S.T.-certified officers. The Academy has a 98-precent placement rate for graduates.

The Basic Law Enforcement Technical Certificate of Credit provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 18-week cohort program utilizes classroom instruction pertaining to criminal justice theory and the prevailing principles of modern law enforcement, as well as practical application of pertinent enforcement skills.College coursework contains the entire Georgia Peace Officers Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course so that successful completion of the program will qualify the student to be a state-certified peace officer.

To attend, please contact Claire Pimentel at 912.443.5191 or cpimentel@savannahtech.edu by Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

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A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.