Law Enforcement 55th Anniversary

Celebrating 55 Years of Law Enforcement Education

In 1967, the world looked very different from today. Much of what we take for granted had not even been conceptualized yet. The internet was science fiction, Lyndon B. Johnson was president and the Idaho State University Law Enforcement Program was brand new. Now, over half a century later, the program is ever-evolving as it continues to provide Idaho with exemplary officers. On June 3, 2022, the Law Enforcement Program held its 55-year reunion in the William M. and Karin A. Eames Advanced Technical Education and Innovation Complex. Attendees were treated to food and drink while they mingled. Alumni old and young were able to swap stories and find the common ground between their generations. They were then able to experience the SURVIVR Virtual Reality Simulator that was acquired through a Perkins Grant in 2020. The SURVIVR Simulator is a realistic virtual reality system that provides six degrees of freedom, eye tracking, hand tracking and much more. It provides a safe and controlled space for the students and professionals to practice dealing with everyday situations that they may run into as a law enforcement officer. These scenarios can be pre-constructed or dynamic and are fully under the control of the instructor. After interacting with the simulator, there were several speakers including ISU College of Technology Interim Dean Debbie Ronneburg and Chief Roger Schei of the Pocatello Police Department. Schei spoke of the necessity of training and continuing education. He also talked about the wonderful relationship his department has with the College of Technology and how he hasn’t had to send a new recruit to Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) in five years because the ISU Law Enforcement Program prepares its students to meet or exceed every standard set forth by Idaho.

A reunion attendee tests out the SURVIVR Simulator.

Various attendees pose for a photo at the 55th anniversary of ISU’s Law Enforcement Program.

Sergeant Jed Lewis of the Idaho Falls Police Department backed up Schei’s testimony and added his perspective as a graduate of the program. “An untrained officer is a liability,” said Lewis. “You never rise to the level of your expectations, but fall to your level of preparation and training.” Ronneburg spoke of the programs first coordinator, Todd Paul, and his history with the program while Lynn Case, the current Law Enforcement Program coordinator, elaborated further on the history of the program itself. Paul was selected as the primary instructor and coordinator of the Law Enforcement Program in 1966, four years before Idaho standardized its police training methods. The academy that Paul ran was only about four weeks long and boasted a very modest budget of $50,000 to cover the program and the salaries of the three staff members employed at the time. From 1970 to 1980, every police officer who trained in Idaho did so at ISU. Since then, the program has had only three other coordinators. The second coordinator was Noble Taylor, who served from 1982 to 1998. The third was Cal Edwards, who was coordinator for 20 years, retiring in 2018 when Lynn Case took over the job to continue the legacy. Since its humble beginnings, the Law Enforcement Program has moved from the Roy F. Christensen building to its current facilities at 1480 Barton Road — which has housed them since 1995. The current curriculum consists of a 15-week patrol academy and a fiveweek detention academy — massively increasing the training provided compared to the original course. ISU College of Technology Interim Dean Debbie Ronneburg closed the reunion event by mentioning the scholarships that have been set up by alumni and friends of the program to perpetuate the education of new police officers in a discipline that gives so much back to the community. To learn more about the Law Enforcement Program, visit isu.edu/lawenforcement.