Clark State College will hold a graduation ceremony for cadets of the Basic Peace Officer Training Academy at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, 275 South Limestone Street, 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 769 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. The Academy is designed to meet the requirements of the Ohio Police Officer Training Council (OPOTC) and is offered in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, the State of Ohio, and OPOTC.
Advances in technology and an emphasis on homeland security have fueled a demand for law enforcement professionals equipped to meet the changes in national security. Several rewarding law enforcement careers that are in demand in today’s security-conscious society include FBI Agent, Homeland Security, Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Armed Security, Corrections Officers, Probation Officers, Court Officers, U.S. Marshal, Customs Agent, Secret Service Agent and Game Warden.
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. The next evening Academy session begins January 3, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The next daytime Academy session will begin in March of 2023 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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.
Those interested in enrolling in the Clark State Basic Peace Officer Training Academy should call 937.328.6050 for more information or complete an online inquiry form at https://www.clarkstate.edu/academics/basic-police-officer-inquiry-form/ . Prospective cadets are required to complete the OPOTA application and other required forms. A candidate is required to pass a physical assessment test, a physical, a drug screen and be fingerprinted for a BCI background check.
Spring 2022 Police Academy Graduates
Auglaize County
Bradley Fleck
Clark County
Reese Cochran
Ryan Fain
Brendon Hartsell
Gabriel Mefford
Keith Moore
Madeline Ruetenik
Zachary Speckman
Caitlin Votaw
Franklin County
James Aubrey
Greene County
Syncear Bryant
Joseph Desjardins
Montgomery County
Major Stratton