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Clark State improving officer training facilities

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Fairborn Daily Herald

SPRINGFIELD — The Clark State Community College Police Academy will begin renovations for improved training facilities in the Brinkman Educational Center this summer. The expanded academy will consist of three training classrooms.

“There will be an academic classroom for cognitive (academic) training,” said Paul Weber, police academy commander at Clark State. “A second room will be designated as a ‘practical’ facility where the cadets will have hands-on training relating to crime scenes, domestic violence, OVI practical and the Milo Range shoot/don’t-shoot simulator system.”

The third classroom will be designated for physical fitness and hands-on subject-control training, where Weber said cadets will have hands-on arrest technique training, impact weapons training, as well as OPOTA required physical fitness training as the cadets prepare for the OPOTA required fitness tests.

The Ohio Police Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) oversees training requirements and curriculum for peace officers. While the demand for police officers in the field continues to increase, OPOTA will require all academy candidates as of Jan. 1, 2017, to pass a physical fitness test prior to entering an academy.

“This test will be based on the Cooper Physical Fitness Standards used state-wide and is based on the age and gender of the applicant,” said Weber.

Clark State will offer an evening Basic Peace Officer Academy beginning 5:30-10:30 p.m. June 13 Monday through Friday. A daytime Basic Peace Officer Academy will begin 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 8 Monday through Friday and includes several weekends for on-and-off-site training.

Interested students should visit Clark State’s Police Academy office in the Brinkman Educational Center in downtown Springfield to pick up and complete the required OPOTA application and other required forms. A candidate is then required to get a physical and be finger printed for a BCI background check at the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.

Clark State offers four peace officer training academies each year; two, four-month academies are held during the daytime and two, six-month academies are held in the evenings. Each academy is limited to 25 cadets. Cadets must be 21 years old 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.

Learn more about Clark State’s Basic Peace Officer Academy online at: www.clarkstate.edu/academics/majors-programs/basic-peace-officer-academy.

Story courtesy of Clark State Community College.