Camden County To Offer Law Enforcement Track At Its Tech Schools
By Pat Loeb
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- Camden County high school students will have the chance to graduate prepared for a career in law enforcement, thanks to a new program the county is offering at its technical schools.
And it's hoped that the new "Academy of Law and Public Safety" will provide recruits to the new countywide police force.
The four-year program, which teaches skills in criminal justice, forensic science, fire and emergency medical treatment, will enroll its first class of 60 in September.
Project manager Tony de Prince says the seats are filling up fast.
"As soon as we announced this idea out there, our admissions office started getting flooded with phone calls," he says.
The county hopes that most of those students will come from the city of Camden, which the county police force will patrol beginning April 30th (see related stories).
Camden County freeholder director Lou Cappelli says the program will keep the force tied to the community and give Camden youth a new opportunity.
"So if you're 12, 13, or 14 years old in Camden City and you're being offered the possibility of life on the streets from a drug dealer or a career through your education, hopefully that student will choose the career in public safety."
Interested eighth graders and their parents should contact the admissions office at 856-767-7000, ext. 5415, or go to ccts.tec.nj.us.
