Western Colorado Law Enforcement Academy starts May 9
After more than two years of planning, the Western Colorado Law Enforcement Academy (WCLEA) has taken shape. The WCLEA application is open and is set to launch its first session in a few short weeks and it all came to fruition thanks to a community-wide effort.
After seeing a need for a summer academy, the Montrose Police Department, the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado Mesa University teamed up to open a summer academy to educate and train as many as 15 cadets this summer.
As the City of Montrose and the county grows, so does the need for first responders. While other regional academies are offered in fall and spring, the WCLEA academy is unique in that it’s the only summer session being offered in western Colorado. This provides yet another opportunity for prospective students.
“The culture at Montrose PD is really exciting right now. We are going through a period of growth just like Montrose is itself,” said Montrose Police Sergeant Courtney Jones, who is also the WCLEA’s director.
For Jones, being in law enforcement is not only rewarding, but fun.
“Every single day is different in law enforcement,” said Sergeant Jones. “It never gets boring. You get to help people solve their problems, work towards resolutions and help people who might be in crisis.”
It’s a sixteen-week certificate program that mirrors the program at Western Colorado Community College, CMU’s community college division. Once the program is complete, graduates are Certified Colorado Peace Officers eligible for hire anywhere in the Colorado after passing the POST exam. Cadets also graduate with 31 college credits. This is the only academy in Colorado that articulates to an AAS degree in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice (POST Academy) and Bachelor of Applied Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.
CMU is giving away one scholarship to a qualified applicant. The deadline to apply to the academy is March 14 and the academy begins May 9.