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a Texas police
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I Bill Cooksey,
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ize some out-
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irst aid, motor
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1981, the state
nal 40 hours of
: law enforce-
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said Cooksey,
sran.
cement, all the
as ‘on-the-job’
of the Texas
I Enforcement
nation in 1954,
ewide curricu-
all peace offic-
omplete within
six months after they are hired.
The state also requires one year’s
experience on the job for officers to
receive their basic certification, but
the state does not require an officer
to go higher than basic certification.
Within most departments, offic
ers are sent to advanced classes
after serving with the department
for some time.
Lt. John Kennedy of the College
Station Police Department said
they send officers through various
schools depending on when the
classes are offered and what the
department can afford.
Advanced training can be in
areas such as photography, leader
ship management or advanced
firearms training.
Both the Bryan College Station
police departments requalify their
officers in the use of firearms once a
year, even though the state does
not require it.
Kennedy and Knowles both said
they would like to qualify their men
more often, but it takes about
10,000 rounds of ammunition for
each man and that is more money
than is in the budget.
Kennedy said a plan that would
qualify College Station’s officers
twice a year in shotguns and off-
duty weapons is in the works.
At the training school, all the in
structors are former law enforce
ment officers. Ira Scott, division
head of the school, said, “We re
quire that they (instructors) have
five years experience and we prefer
up to 10 years experience.’’
“We want them to be able to re
late their experiences as well as
what they learned from the book.”
The school, the oldest police
training school in Texas, is located
on the Old Bryan Air Force Base on
Highway 21. Classes are held in
one of the old frame buildings in
cramped quarters.
The school will be moving to a
new building being built at the Ex
tension Center sometime in April,
Scott said.
They will be sharing the building
with the Texas Transportation Insti-
tute. The police academy will
occupy 13,000 square feet on the
west side of the building, Scott said.
There will be seven classrooms
as well as an office and a full photo
graphic lab.
The polygraph school will also be
moved into the new building.
Attorney Roland Searcy lectures on investigative procedures to a class at the Texas A&M Law
Enforcement and Security Training School.
Handcuffs are oneof the many types of security equipment that cadets must learn to handle effectively at the school.