STATESBORO, Ga. — Dozens of Georgia Southern University (GSU) Police Department employees are being recognized for significantly exceeding training requirements.
Sixty-eight sworn officers and dispatchers completed 6,782 hours of training last year, averaging almost 100 hours of training per officer, according to a press release from the school. In total, the department consists of 66 sworn police officers, 12 dispatchers, and additional administrative and support personnel.
“Certified peace officers in the state of Georgia are required to take 20 hours of training each year in order to keep their certification,” said GSU Chief of Police Laura McCullough. “This means that GSUPD officers, as well as dispatchers and support staff who are not required to train annually, completed nearly five times the required amount of training during 2020. That is an incredible amount of training for any one person to receive in a year, much less an entire staff of officers, dispatchers and support staff personnel.”
Captain Joshua Barker demonstrates wound care during a Stop the Bleed training class.
The training covered legal updates, community policing, firearms skills, DUI detection, supervision training, investigations, Stop the Bleed, and crisis intervention, among other things. The above and beyond training was either required by the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, the department, or was requested by the individual officers.
“Our officers and staff work very hard to provide the best possible service we can to our community,” Chief McCullough continued. “There are a lot of other agencies where they could work and not have to put so much extra time into training, which means additional time away from their families and friends. To see officers with this level of dedication to providing excellent service to the campus community, is proof of how much doing this job and doing it right means to every member of UPD.”
