STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ARE EXPERIENCING A SHORTAGE OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
UNFORTUNATELY THE SITUATION IS
NO DIFFERENT.
GEORGIAREE GODFREY FOUND THAT
THE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ACADEMY IS REVAMPING AND TRAINS
OFFICERS TO FILL THE MANY
VACANCIES ACROSS THE STATE.
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY
ROLLED OUT A NEW TRAINING
PROCESS TO SPEED UP THE TIME IT
TAKES FOR FUTURE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER APPLYING
FOR THE JOB AND ACTUALLY BEING
PUT ON THE STREETS TO DO IT.
I THINK WE ARE IN A CRISIS
RIGHT NOW.
NEWBERRY COUNTY SHERIFF'S
LEE FOSTER REPRESENTS JUST ONE
OF MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT
DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE
WITH VACANCIES.
I HAVE SEVEN SPOTS OPEN.
GETTING AN OFFICER IN
UNIFORM HAS NOT BEEN THE
BIGGEST PROCESS.
IT IS GENERALLY GOING TO
TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR FROM YOU
GOT TO THE POINT FROM WHERE YOU
WERE HIGHER TO THE POINT YOU,
THE PERSON TRAINED AND
AVAILABLE TO BE OUT ON THE
ROAD.
BEFORE JUNE THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE ACADEMY COULD ONLY
OFFER 16 TRAINING CLASSES OF 70
STUDENTS A YEAR.
EACH CLASS LASTED 12 WEEKS.
WE WERE HAVING ABOUT 106
DAYS FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE.
ACADEMY STARTED A NEW
TRAINING PROCESS IN JUNE TO
SHORTEN THE WAIT TIME.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL
NOW TAKE FOUR WEEKS OF TRAINING
WITH THE HIRING DEPARTMENT
BEFORE HEADING TO COLUMBIA FOR
THE REMAINING EIGHT WEEKS.
STUDENTS TO FOUR WEEKS AT
HOME WITH VIDEOS WE HAVE
PRODUCED HERE ABOUT TEACHING
LAB CLASSES.
THEY DO THE FOUR WEEKS AT HOME
AND PASS A TEST EVERY WEEK.
AT THE END OF THAT THEY COME
HERE AND PASS A CUMULATIVE TEST
AND TAKE THE PHYSICAL ABILITIES
TEST AND IF THEY PASS THAT THEN
WE GIVE THEM AN ASSIGNMENT TO
COME HERE.
THE ACADEMY WILL BE ABLE TO
ADD EIGHT MORE CLASSES OF 70
STUDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS
PROGRAM.
POTENTIALLY CREATING 560 NEW
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
HE WAS GOING TO BE THERE
WHEN YOU NEEDED DEPUTY?
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY
IS ALSO HOPING BY OFFICERS
BEING ABLE TO SPEND THE FOUR
WEEKS IN THEIR HOME DEPARTMENT,
THAT THE RETENTION RATE AND
GRADUATION RATE WILL ALSO
INCREASE WITH THIS PROCESS.
IN COLUMBIA, GEORGIAREE
GODFREY, 7 NEWS.
LAST YEAR THE ACADEMY
ENROLLED 1169 STUDENTS, 856 OF
THEM SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE
PROGRAM.
POLICE DEPARTMENT SAY OUTSIDE
INDUSTRIES ALSO PUTTING A
STRAIN AND RECRUITMENT AND
