The Lakeland Basic Police Academy is slated to start a new cohort this spring.

Earlier this year, the college made the decision to pause the academy shortly after the session began due to COVID-19.

"There is a strong need for good quality candidates to fill positions at many of the Lake County police departments. Our 2021 academy will provide the training, and prepare mostly Lake County residents, to fill that need," said Ron Morenz, chief of police and director for public safety at Lakeland. "The success of our academy is in our instructors. They come from numerous departments throughout northeast Ohio and provide high quality classroom and field instruction. We look forward to helping prospective cadets begin their journey into a career in law enforcement."

Testing for the academy will be held in early February with classes beginning April 26.

Lakeland's Basic Police Academy is administered by the college in conjunction with the Ohio Peace Officers Training Council (OPOTC). The Basic Police Academy is required training to become a police officer in the State of Ohio. The curriculum includes all topics required by the OPOTC and others as determined by the Academy Commander. Attendance at all classes is mandatory. To maintain a safe and quality learning environment, the size of an academy class will not exceed 30 students/cadets.

By: Jessica Novak