EVANSVILLE – Ivy Tech Community College has announced that its Evansville campus will serve as the host site for the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. The first Academy at Ivy Tech will begin in late March.

“We are setting ourselves up to be the model for the state,” said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams.  “We are very excited to have our new law enforcement recruits being trained here at home.”

Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and Evansville Police Department officers will continue to provide instructors for the Academy courses. “This partnership will serve as a recruitment tool, and it will emphasize the important role education plays in developing successful law enforcement officers,” said Evansville Police Chief Brad Hill.

Academy graduates will receive 22 college credit hours applicable to a specialized Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Criminal Justice. Ivy Tech launched its Criminal Justice program at the Evansville campus in 2004 and the program has a current enrollment of more than 175 students. The program addresses the educational needs of those working in public and private agencies and facilities, including law enforcement, adult and juvenile correctional facilities, victim advocacy, protective services and other such human rights agencies.

“Ivy Tech is well-positioned, as the state’s community college, to serve as a partner and host site for the Academy,” said Dan Schenk, Chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Evansville campus. “This will definitely be a benefit and a convenience for the community and local law enforcement.”

About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech is one of the nation’s largest statewide community college systems and the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with more than 110,000 students enrolled annually.  Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana.  It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana.  It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.