A new minor at Elizabethtown College aims to combat the nationwide shortage of police officers by preparing students for the police force while they are still enrolled in school.

The Municipal Police Officer Training minor offers students a pathway to obtain their ACT 120 certification:the training that authorizes them to be on-street police officers. With this new minor, students can now do this before graduating—getting rid of the six month training delay many recent graduates face when entering the academy.

As of Sept. 25, the new minor has been approved with the goal of having the program up and running by spring of 2025. The minor’s formation is due to work by Kadee Crandall, the director of the criminal justice program at Etown.

Crandall has been working to improve the criminal justice program since she started her role as the director in August 2023. The minor has been in the works since winter of that same year. She said it took careful consideration and time to construct the minor, ensuring the credits earned from the program were transferrable for Etown students.

“I am very excited about offering this opportunity to the Etown students as it will provide career preparedness prior to graduation,” Crandall said.

Open to juniors and seniors of any degree, the students will dedicate an entire semester to attend a Municipal Police Officer’s Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) certified school and complete their ACT 120 certification.

Logan Burns, a sophomore criminal justice major, is considering local or state level policing upon graduation.

“I see it making a big impact on my future career and an even bigger impact on helping me get a job after graduation,” Burns said. “I feel like it would be a great program to use for the kids who would like to get ahead.”

Senior criminal justice major Lucas Maggipinto expressed his desire to be a part of the minor. Unfortunately, due to his current grade, it will affect his ability to graduate in the spring if he were to participate. 

“I wish I was able to have the opportunity to achieve this minor,” Maggipinto said. “It saves you a lot of time and helps you a lot more than some people may think.”

The students will complete a 25 to27 week period of training while not taking classes at Etown during that time. The program consists of five modules, all of which are broken down into volumes with its related hours. In order to complete the minor, all class exams must be passed and the certification must be earned.

Crandall, the main point of contact for the Municipal Police Officer Training minor, recommends that students who are interested should plan on completing the minor before the spring semester of their senior year. 

“Even if you’re somewhat considering policing, do it because you’ll regret it in the end if you don’t,” Maggipinto said.