Bucks County will be getting its own police academy after a unanimous vote from a state commission in charge of establishing certification and training standards for municipal police in Pennsylvania.
The Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission, or MPOETC, voted unanimously Thursday for the new academy at the Bucks County Community College, which has campuses in Bristol and Newtown townships and Perkasie, according to a news release from State Rep. Brian Munroe, D-Warminster.
Munroe, a former police officer, veteran, and MPOETC member, said the project would be a benefit for local police, the college and communities across the county.
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“Establishing a police academy right here in Bucks County opens law enforcement opportunities to more of our residents from the outset,” Munroe said. “Great municipal police officers often come from the towns they serve. My hope in opening a new academy at BCCC is that more of our bright young people choose to learn here and stay here long into the future.”
The vote is an early step in establishing the new academy, but state Rep. Tim Brennan, D-Doylestown, said the facility would provide “high-quality training” and the “best preparation and support” for new recruits.
“Over the last year, I have introduced legislation to better fund law enforcement and support accreditation and regionalization efforts,” Brennan said. “This academy is another great step forward in making sure our officers have all the training and resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
MPOETC authorized the community college to submit a full application for a new academy in December 2024. Four other institutions also were approved to apply: Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County, Luzerne County Community College, Penn State DuBois in Clearfield County, and PennWest University in Clarion County.
Bucks County and Luzerne County were the only two to advance in the process. Luzerne County Community College also received a passing vote of 11-2.
The nearest certified schools for basic police officer training for “pre-service students” listed on the MPOETC website are at the Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell and the Temple Police Academy in Ambler in Montgomery County.
There are two other training facilities in Philadelphia and in Montgomery County, but they only accept students who are currently hired by municipal police, according to the MPOETC website.
Chris Ullery can be reached at cullery@couriertimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County community college to house new county police academy