Herkimer College and Little Falls Police Department Announce Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Certificate Program

Herkimer County Community College and the Little Falls Police Department have partnered to offer the Pre-Employment Police Basic Training certificate program at Herkimer College.

The Pre-Employment Police Basic Training certificate is the first phase of pre-employment training and is equivalent to the Basic Course for Police Officers in New York State. Open to both civilians and sworn police officers, the first class of students will begin in the Fall 2018 semester, pending final approval from the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Students will begin preparation for a career as a police officer prior to being hired by a law enforcement agency. As a further benefit, the program provides law enforcement agencies and municipalities with a diverse pool of trained police officer candidates.

Course work in Phase 1 includes, but is not limited to, the various laws and procedures required of a police officer, ethics, basic criminal investigations, and physical fitness. The program will introduce students to the field of policing and the requirements necessary for the successful completion of the basic police academy as mandated by the Municipal Police Training Council of New York State; provide students with an overview of different types of law enforcement methods, including laws, procedures and policies; and enable students to acquire interpersonal communications skills appropriate for use in law enforcement settings.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be awarded a transcript and certificate. Graduates will have two years from completion to secure employment in a police department and complete the Phase II portion of the training before being awarded a full Basic School Certificate from the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Civilians or sworn police officers may attend Phase 1 of the Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Course. Students must be citizens of the United States of America or lawfully residing within the United States of America, not have been convicted of a felony, and possess either a high school diploma or a General Education Diploma (GED). There are no minimum or maximum age requirements for students.

The Little Falls Police Department has administered the part-time Basic Course for Police Officers, and other law enforcement specialty topics, since 1997. LFPD also sponsored the Cazenovia Pre-Employment Program since 2004. They have trained hundreds of law enforcement officers from police and sheriff departments throughout New York State.

Little Falls Police Chief Michael Masi will serve as director of the program at Herkimer College. A police officer for the City of Little Falls since 1992, Masi has advanced through the ranks becoming Chief of Police in 2008. He has been involved in the police academy as an instructor since its inception in 1997 and took over as director in 2000. He has also instructed in numerous other academies around New York State and has been a member of the New York State Law Enforcement Training Directors Association since 2006.

For more information about the program, visit www.herkimer.edu/police or contact program director Michael Masi at 315-866-0300, ext. 8624 or masima@herkimer.edu.

Pictured from left to right: Michael Oriolo, Provost; Timothy Rogers, Director of Campus Safety; Peter Manno, Legislator; Bernard Peplinski, Chairman, Herkimer County Legislature; Robert Schrader, Legislator; Jeffrey Carpenter, Herkimer County District Attorney; Greg Malta, Legislator; Michael Masi, Chief of Police, Little Falls Police Department and Cathleen McColgin, Ph.D., President, Herkimer College.