Central Missouri Police Academy Incorporates Animal Shelter into Physical Training

By Jeff Murphy, September 6, 2019

Echo, K-9 with University of Central Missouri Public Safety

WARRENSBURG, MO – In a community that embraces the time-honored relationship between dogs and humans, evidenced by the famous Old Drum statue on the courthouse front lawn, cadets at the Central Missouri Police Academy are taking that relationship one step further. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, they plan to devote a morning of physical training to working out with dogs housed at the Warrensburg Animal Shelter.

“When you’re a police officer, you’re a public servant. We want our cadets to give back to communities,” said Tim Lowry, director of the Central Missouri Police Academy.

One way he hopes for this fall’s group of 21 cadets to learn more about developing police-community relationships is to spend time performing a public service. One of the first of such activities will take the group to the west side of Warrensburg, where cadets will spend about an hour working out with dogs that are in the shelter.

“This is a win-win situation. While our cadets are getting exercise, the dogs will benefit too,” Lowry said.

While he expects  the cadets to benefit from a change in their physical training routine, he also noted the opportunity to work with the animals at the shelter helps call attention to a variety of dogs that are in need of homes. Part of giving back to the community and building strong relationships will include an opportunity for cadets to seek contributions that would help cover adoption fees for some of the many animals located at the shelter.

Central Missouri Police Academy is part of the Missouri Safety Center, located on the University of Central Missouri campus. It provides an 825-hour basic law enforcement training program that brings to campus individuals from all over the country who are seeking skills and credentials they need to begin a career in policing or to help them earn college credit toward a degree. To find out more about the academy, go to mosafetycenter.com, or contact Lowry at tlowry@ucmo.edu.