P ROT E C T AND S E RV E
S
NEW HANDS-ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM BEGINNING THIS FALL
cott County Sheriff Tim Lane and Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski have more in common than just their badges, and desire to protect and serve. Each got their start, along with many other local law enforcement professionals, by earning an Associate’s Degree with an emphasis in Criminal Justice from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). In EICC’s service area alone, there are law enforcement opportunities available at the municipal, county, state and federal level. In the last five years, Davenport has hired in excess of 50 police officers, and Scott County recently added deputies as well. “Currently, it looks like the future is wide open for those people who want to join law enforcement,” said Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane. “There is a lot more demand than people pursuing the field.” As the demand for well-trained professionals has grown, so has the need for more handson training. In response to this need, EICC is launching a brand new Criminal Justice program this fall. In the works for well over a year, program development included a great deal of research and feedback from local law enforcement agencies.
4
eicc.edu/tccmagazine
“We currently offer a Criminal Justice Transfer Major degree, and beginning this fall we’re offering a brand new Criminal Justice career and technical degree,” said Isaac Newman, Interim Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. “It’s designed to prepare folks directly for the workforce or Police Academy.”
I think being in a program like this will be really beneficial to both the student and the profession, as well as the college." – Davenport Police Chief, Paul Sikorski
With new courses such as Physical Conditioning, Firearms, Ethics, Interviewing/Writing Strategies, and Patrol, Vice and Drug Control, just to name a few, students who complete the program will stand out among other applicants when applying for jobs in law enforcement, corrections or security. “We have wanted this in our area for quite a while,” said Lane. “We have a fairly large metropolitan area here that has a need for more applicants. We need to have this local training.” Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski agrees, and is excited about the possibilities. When hiring, he looks for candidates who not only have a passion for the profession, but who have also taken steps to prepare and learn more about what it entails. The more prepared applicants are, the better their chances for passing the written and physical exams required of officers.
