HEIGHTENED POLICE TRAINING SPOTLIGHTS SOUTHEAST ACADEMY

Just a few years ago, Missouri ranked dead last among the states in the number of training hours states required to be a certified law enforcement officer. With as little as 120 hours of training, almost anyone could put on a badge and a gun and hit the streets.

But beginning Aug. 28, prospective law enforcement officers in 110 of the state's 114 counties will need 470 hours of state-recognized training to wear a badge and gun, placing Missouri in 23rd place among the other 50 states in required training hours.

That state-mandated training has been offered at the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy for the past nine years.

According to the academy's director, Dr. Michael Brown, prospective law enforcement officers from 25 counties travel to Cape Girardeau for training in the 470-hour program (the academy's program actually is 480 hours) or the 120-hour program for third- and forth-class counties.

The academy also offers continuing education for law enforcement officers, which will be required -- 16 hours per year -- after Aug. 28.

Brown said the academy offers weekday and weekend programs because many people have other jobs or college schedules to work around.

The 470-hour program, 120-hour program and a refresher course were offered Saturday in Crisp Hall, where the academy conducts many of its classes. About 20 law enforcement officers already certified in Missouri were reviewing standard field sobriety testing in one room, 60 students in the 120-hour program were learning about the court system in another room and 40 students in the 470-hour program were learning how to investigate sex crimes.

The 470-hour weekend program lasts about nine months with recruits being trained every Friday evening, Saturday and every other Sunday. The 120-hour program has a similar weekend schedule but lasts six weeks.

In addition to the weekend classes offered at the academy, the 470-hour program also is offered during the week in a 12-week block.

As for instructors, the academy pays regional law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys and others to teach classes based on the subject matter.

The subject matter for the 470-hour program includes topics in administrative procedures, legal studies, interpersonal perspectives and skills development.

The recent increase in required hours was welcomed by many of the students in the 470-hour program.

"You could never get enough training in this job," said Jason Morgan.

Morgan's statement was the consensus of his classmates.

Corey Mitchell, another student in the 470-hour program, wouldn't mind seeing 600 hours of required training before becoming a law enforcement officer, a standard other states have adopted. He said the more hours the state requires to be a law enforcement officer, the less likely bad apples will become police officers.

"You'd have to really want the job to go through the training," he said.

Another student, Chris Byrne, said he favors more required training hours to increase the respectability of policing. He said his family didn't realize that 470 hours of training already were required.

"They thought you were given a badge and a gun and sent out to work," he said. "It's not like that at all."

In addition to the training hours, the cost of the training might be prohibitive to some people. For the 470-hour program, the cost is $1,600. The 120-hour program costs $400.

Applicants to the program must be 21 years old, provide a copy of a high school diploma or GED, have a valid driver's license, and have no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions involving moral turpitude.

Information about the law enforcement academy can be obtained by writing Law Enforcement Academy, Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza, MS 8200, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701, or by calling (573) 651-2541.