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A new partnership between the University of North Georgia (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) Public Safety Academy and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office will increase the number of law enforcement officers with a four-month advanced training.

"We have a four-year police academy at the University of North Georgia. We partnered with Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and developed a 16-week advanced training course," Dr. Butch Newkirk, Public Safety Academy director and professor of criminal justice, said. "It belongs to Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û, and the sheriff's deputies staff it."

Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said it "makes all the sense in the world" as Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û is the top recruiting source for his office, with roughly 70 members of his staff being Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û alumni.

"The idea behind this is 12 weeks is great, but, look at the nation, look at the crimes that are out there," Freeman said. "Don't we want the best trained officers out in the community? I wanted more for our police officers. I knew what Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û was turning out. Students were incredibly well-trained. It just made sense."

Attending the Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û Public Safety Academy of Forsyth County, the first class of cadets began training under the tutelage of Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies on Oct. 3. In addition to the customary 11 weeks of officer training, these individuals will graduate with five weeks of advanced training that would normally be obtained further into their careers: precision immobilization technique maneuvers, mental health, critical incidents, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

We give them a degree and then march them across the stage with POST certification, and that way they're very marketable.

Dr. Douglas Orr

Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û criminal justice department head

The partnership builds on the success of Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Public Safety in Dahlonega, where freshmen can begin their academics and law enforcement training simultaneously and graduate with a degree in criminal justice and Georgia Peace Officer Standards Training Council (POST) certification.

"We give them a degree and then march them across the stage with POST certification, and that way they're very marketable," Dr. Douglas Orr, Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û criminal justice department head, said. "We had one police chief come up on the stage at graduation and swear in an officer."

Transfer students are also able to take advantage of the program, Orr said, adding that they would train in a hybrid academy.

"We are all focused on producing a better officer and one of the ways we can do this is through training," Parker said. "These officers are facing many challenges on the job, and it is our job as instructors to provide them with the tools they need to serve their communities and ensure they make it home to their families at the end of every shift."