"This is the greatest thing to happen in my tenure as sheriff,"
said Mercer County Sheriff Kevin Larkin, about the new Police Academy
located on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College.
"To me this is the biggest star on top -- bigger than the one
on my shirt."
"We
have created a comprehensive modern police academy right here in
Mercer County," said County Executive Hughes. "We want
to standardize the training among police departments in the county
so they don't have to go to other counties. We will be sharing these
facilities with the FBI and other first responders."
By
adapting existing facilities at the college for use by the new academy,
the county has achieved tremendous cost savings, Hughes said. Also,
in addition to county recruits, municipal police departments can
send their recruits for training. The on-campus location will enable
the recruits to use the college's library, fitness center, computer
rooms and other services.
MCCC's
Acting President Thomas N. Wilfrid said he expects the academy to
benefit the college's Criminal Justice students. "This will
be a tremendous resource for students studying law enforcement or
corrections here at the college," he said. Recruits will earn
15 credits toward a Mercer degree.
More
details are available at the Mercer County website here.
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