GVSU Police Academy sees record number of recruits

The Grand Valley State University Police Academy's 2019 class is the largest to date, with 48 recruits.

The 45th GVSU Police Academy, which began April 29, includes 37 men and 11 women.

Williamson Wallace, director of Criminal Justice Training at Grand Valley, said there are 31 pre-service recruits (who will be seeking employment upon graduation) and 17 in-service recruits (who have been hired and are sponsored by a law enforcement agency). 

The 17 students being sponsored by agencies are coming from the Grand Rapids Police Department, Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, Muskegon City Police Department, Kent County Sheriff's Office, and Ingham County Sheriff's Office.

The academy is conducted annually during the spring/summer semester, May–August. The 2019 class will graduate August 15 at 2 p.m. in the Haas Center for Performing Arts on the Allendale Campus.

Grand Valley’s academy goes beyond the mandatory minimum training requirement of 594 hours set by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and provides 670.5 hours of instruction in 16 weeks. 

Wallace said the academy is a leader in the state, introducing innovative training methods and techniques that are setting the bar for law enforcement education.

For more information, contact Wallace at (616) 331-8515 or visit gvsu.edu/cj/policeacademy.