By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On June 28, the Cazenovia College Police Academy held it 15th annual graduation ceremony at the Catherine Cummings Theatre.
The college’s Phase I Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Program — offered through the Center for Continuing Education & Graduate Programs — is designed for current civilian or non-sworn New York State residents who are interested in pursuing employment in a police department in the state.
Training is conducted by certified police instructors or approved instructors from both the police community and the college.
Upon completion of the program, graduates have two years to secure employment in a police department and complete Phase II of the training required to earn a full Basic School Certificate from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The graduating Class of 2019 included the following students:
Tyler J. Baker, Zachary T. J. Correnti, Tyler D. DeCoursey, Brittany R. Gillette, Michael S. Gough II, Alem Hozo, Robert A. Marshall, Vitality Moskvich, Russell B. Nemeti Jr., Kristofor A. O’Rourke, Ryan J. Roman, Joshua J. Russell, Cole K. Schanbacher, Cody J. Welch and Taylor R. Zinter.
During the ceremony, Christine Richardson, director of the Center for Continuing Education & Graduate Programs, and Dr. Ron Chesbrough, Cazenovia College president, delivered brief introductory remarks.
“It’s a rigorous program, and we could not be prouder to host the police academy on our campus,” Chesbrough said. “I honor all of you for the work that you put in.”
Program Director Thomas Engelmann provided an overview of the Phase I training program and its requirements.
Engelmann said the program began in September with 23 cadets. After nine and a half months of training, only 15 students met the academic and physical standards set by the DCJS.
To graduate, students must complete coursework in a number of areas, including penal law, criminal procedure law, domestic violence, standard field sobriety training and mental health. The courses require participation in practical exercises such as traffic stops, defensive tactics, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) and pepper spray. Throughout the program, students are also required to maintain a notebook.
Engelmann congratulated the cadets and thanked Assistant Director Edward Blakely, the program’s instructors and the students’ family and friends.
Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood was the ceremony’s guest speaker.
Hood graduated from the Mohawk Valley Police Academy in 1991 and began his career in law enforcement as a corrections officer with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
He then worked as a patrolman for NYS Parks Police, the Village of Clinton and the Town of Kirkland before moving to the Syracuse Police Department.
While at Syracuse PD, Hood served as a detective with the Gang Task Force and as S.W.A.T. supervisor/team leader.
After retiring from the department, he went to work with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office as an Investigator for Criminal Investigations/Homicides. He became Madison County Sheriff in 2018.
Based on his extensive law enforcement experience, Hood offered several pieces of advice to the class of 2019.
“This is just the framework of your career,” he said. “[The Academy] is giving you the template, but you’ve got to continue to train for your whole life.”
In addition to continuing their training, Hood advised the students to be good teammates; to maintain faith; to take care of both their work and home families; to consider the “what ifs” in every situation; to avoid complaining; to maintain their integrity; to treat everyone with kindness; to always be professional; to learn from their supervisors; and to follow the law.
“Be a good person, it’s very simple,” he said. “Be kind and loving and help people. I tell my guys all the time, ‘I don’t need tough cops; I need nice cops working for me.’ That’s so important.”
Ronald Petrie, Chief of the Frankfort Police Department, discussed the history of Cazenovia College’s Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Program.
The program was established in 2004 in partnership with the City of Little Falls Police Department and with approval from the DCJS. Today, the program is sponsored by the Frankfort Police Department.
According to Petrie, Pre-Employment Police Basic Training is intended to relieve small law enforcement agencies of the burden and expense of providing Phase I training to new police officers.
He said prior to the introduction of the concept in New York State, all agencies were required to first hire new officers and then send them to a municipal police academy while continuing to pay their salaries.
“[In the past,] in order to go to a police academy, you had to be hired by a police department,” Petrie said. “[By completing this program,] the cadets have made themselves very marketable to people like me and Sheriff Hood. They’ve got 95 percent of the necessary training right now. With the month long training for Phase II, they’ll be ready to hit the road. The turnaround for these guys is very, very quick and the cost to the taxpayer is minimal . . .”
Petrie urged the graduates to take care of themselves both physically and mentally and to maintain open channels of communication with their fellow officers. He also asked the graduates’ families to continually check in on their emotional states and offer support.
“Twenty years ago when I was at the academy, the phrase was ‘suck it up buttercup,’” said Petrie. “In law enforcement, we have to get past that mindset.”
Graduate Kristofor A. O’Rourke spoke on behalf of his class. He described his training experience and discussed the academy’s emphasis on P.R.I.D.E. (professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication and excellence).
Following the speeches, Engelmann presented five special awards.
Tyler D. DeCoursey received the Kevin F. Crossley Leadership Award. The EVOC Award and the Academic Award were given to Cody J. Welch, who achieved a 99 percent academic average. The Physical Training Award was presented to Zachary T. J. Correnti, who completed the 1.5-mile run in a record 8 min. 29 sec. The Most Improved in Physical Training Award was given to Robert A. Marshall, who took six minutes off of his original 1.5-mile run time.
The Class of 2019 held a fundraiser for the local chapter of Concerns Of Police Survivors (COPS) — a support group for the families and co-workers of police officers killed in the line of duty. The nonprofit organization aims to remember the officers’ sacrifices, honor their families, support their coworkers and help rebuild lives.
Genesee Valley COPS covers 23 counties in Central New York and assists other chapters in the state as needed.
Before the graduates walked across the stage and received their certificates, two members of the class presented a check for $2,000 to the organization in memory of Whitesboro Police Officer Kevin F. Crossley — a Cazenovia College Police Academy graduate who was killed in the line of duty on April 11, 2018.
Genesee Valley COPS President Brian Wyman, Vice President Ellen Guerdat and members of the Crossley family were invited to the stage to accept the donation.
The 2019-2020 Phase I Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Program will begin Sept. 17 on the Cazenovia College campus. Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays.
Information sessions are held monthly, March through September. The next is scheduled for 7 p.m. on July 11 in Coleman Hall Room C.
An overview of academy requirements is available at cazenovia.edu.
