Central Missouri Police Academy Collaborates with SFCC to Make Police Training Possible in Sedalia Area

By Jeff Murphy, October 22, 2019

WARRENSBURG, MO – Meeting a need for training and certification of law enforcement officers, the Missouri Safety Center at the University of Central Missouri and State Fair Community College are collaborating to provide opportunities to interested individuals in Sedalia and the surrounding area.

A memorandum of understanding that makes this possible was signed earlier this year. It enables the Central Missouri Police Academy (CMPA) housed within the Missouri Safety Center to deliver an 18-hour certificate program on the SFCC campus. The program begins Jan. 14, 2020 and following coursework, testing and graduation, will be completed by Sept. 19.

CMPA Director Tim Lowry said the program will enable a large number of individuals in the Sedalia area who want to work in the law enforcement field to obtain training in close proximity to them.

The program is structured so that cadets can complete the program taking six hours of courses during the spring, summer and fall 2020 semesters. Courses are structured to make it more convenient for individuals who have day-time commitments to participate. Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays.

The courses will cover areas such as investigation, physical training, interviewing, de-escalation, defensive tactics, resiliency, health and nutrition, constitutional and statutory law, communication skills, firearms, and emergency first responder training. Completing the curriculum qualifies participants to sit for the Peace Officer Standard and Training (POST) exam Class A certification with more than the required 600 hours, which provides them with 18 hours of “free choice electives” toward a college degree.

Graduating from the academy and passing the POST exam fulfills an essential requirement to be hired as a police officer in Missouri, and credentials that can be transferred to other states. It opens to door for many other career possibilities that include working as a criminal investigator, director of corporate security, executive protection, fraud investigator, or federal agent.

CMPA’s mission is to make its graduates more desirable and competitive in the job market; provide experiential learning by doing in a real world environment; reducing the time needed for students to earn a degree; and to maintain a competitive cost for those enrolling in the course.

Information about this program at SFCC as well as an application to attend the training, is available at CMPA’s website. An interview is conducted prior to admission. Anyone who is interested in interviewing for the spring 2020 program is encouraged to apply immediately. Learn more about CMPA opportunities on their website.