By Mike Greife,
December 15, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO – Enrollment in the spring class of the Central Missouri Police Academy
at the University of Central Missouri remains open, with several seats still available
on a first come, first served basis.
The basic academy curriculum has been expanded from 650 hours to 820 hours, effective
January 2017, with no increase in tuition. Basic academy students will receive intermediate
and some advanced level courses, and inservice officers may attend the basic academy
for continuing education credits, with advanced level courses also available beginning
with the spring 2017 class.
“We have received positive feedback from agencies that have hired our graduates, and
we are very happy with the development of the academy during the past three years,”
said Colin Comer, academy director. “As we continue to grow, restructuring will put
our academy at the level we believe it should be. We understand the need of law enforcement
is not only an increase in the number of applicants, but also quality of applicants.”
He also noted that the growth in sponsorship of students during the past year has
allowed tuition to remain stable.
“UCM has provided a great deal of support, which has allowed us to keep our prices
down,” Comer said. “If an agency sponsors a student to the academy, under the new
curriculum structure, the result will be a more highly trained, new law enforcement
officer.
“We encourage officers and agencies to inquire if they have specific needs, and we
will try to accommodate them,” he added. “With the beginning of the spring academy
class in January 2017, we plan to focus on expanding our continuing education efforts,
with some new courses available for fall under the Institute for Public Safety at
UCM.”
The CMPA training schedule and information about tuition assistance are posted at
ucmo.edu/cmpa. For additional information, contact the CMPA at 660-543-4090.
