JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A state senator wants to create a police academy at Edward Waters College with an eye on creating diversity in police departments across the country.
Senator Christopher Smith, D-31, Ft. Lauderdale, said starting a police academy at Edward Waters College would solve that problem.
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"What we're doing in senate bill 772 is merging that historically black university with a police academy so students will be recruited to that college and receive a degree in criminal justice, but when they walk across that stage, they'll be certified as police officers," Smith said.
In announcing the plan Thursday, Smith mentioned the U.S. Justice Department investigation of the Furguson, Missouri, Police Department, where racial issues with the community were blamed in part about the low number of minority officers in a city with a 67 percent black population.
When the Department of Justice asked Ferguson's police chief why he didn't have more black police officers, he said he didn't hire more because there weren't enough qualified applicants.
Smith said Edward Waters College is unique because the president, Nat Glover is the former sheriff of Jacksonville.
He said Glover's experience in law enforcement and the college's current criminal justice program could be the perfect fit.
"This is something that I think is a dream come true for me because I always thought law enforcement officers should have college degrees," Glover said.
Glover said police officers with college degrees are more sensitive to race, gender and age, because on campus, they'd be exposed to a college curriculum, which in turn enhances a police officer's ability to make sound decisions.
Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford said a police academy at the college would help greatly with recruiting.
"If we can get them earlier, thinking law enforcement for their entire college career and also hand them their basic law enforcement certificate when they graduate, then they are committed to law enforcement and that's good specifically for agencies like Jacksonville."