WEED, Calif. — Since the 1980s, College of the Siskiyous has been able to offer about half of the necessary training needed to become a peace officer in California.
The program is now becoming a full academy beginning June 4th. It’s one of only a handful north of Sacramento and the Bay area.
“Students were having to travel sometimes 4 to 5 hours to finish the training. Now they can do it here locally and hopefully get a job locally and stay here for their career,” said Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Lieutenant, Jeremiah LaRue.
LaRue runs the program in Weed and Yreka. He says it equips cadets for a difficult field.
“It’s beneficial for the student because when they go to a department, they’re more educated and it helps with salary increases and promotions.”
The academy trains students on arrest and control, vehicle operation, firearms and other types of police work.
The college and the sheriff’s department hope that the upgrade will allow people in our region to get advanced training in Siskiyou County.
“The experience that I’ve gotten learning and understanding how law enforcement works, the procedures and the policies that go in into it, really have enlightened me in terms of understanding it not only as a citizen but as a person within a community,” said Cadet Jonathan “Jon Jon” Junpradub.
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