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News Release

Last modified: Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Unique program puts IUPUI students in Speedway Police Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 7, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Four Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis students raised their right hands and swore to protect the residents of Speedway, Ind., and their property as members of the Speedway Police Department, becoming what are believed to be the first university students to participate in a unique law enforcement internship program.

Kevin Kinghorn, Nathan Schaller, Andrew Danner and David Wheeler were sworn in by Speedway officials at a ceremony Monday, Aug. 6, at the Speedway Town Hall.

The students and the Speedway Police Department are the first to participate in the new internship program that enables IUPUI police cadet officers to work part time for a municipal police department. The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, which developed the internship program, hopes to place students with additional municipal police departments in the future.

"IUPUI's urban location offers SPEA students many opportunities for internships that can't be found at other universities," said Terry L. Baumer, executive associate dean of SPEA. "I am proud of SPEA's long and productive relationship with the Speedway Police Department."

Speedway Police Chief James E. Campbell echoed that sentiment, saying, "We have developed a wonderful working relationship with the IUPUI Police Department. We feel this unique educational program will greatly benefit both the student officers and the citizens of Speedway. The Speedway Police Department will gain the service of these fine police officers, and the student officers will gain valuable municipal police experience."

The IUPUI officers will complete the same Field Training Program that all Speedway police officers must complete. Once they successfully complete the program, they will perform all of the same duties that Speedway merit and reserve police officers perform daily.

The cadet program at IUPUI allows full-time undergraduate students to work part time for the IU Police Department at IUPUI. Cadets spend their first year working in public safety dispatch and security, attend a three-day school to obtain certification on the state and national law enforcement computer system and participate in all annual departmental police in-service training. Cadets who satisfactorily complete this first year attend the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bloomington for 12 weeks during summer break, receiving the same training that is required of all Indiana law enforcement officers. Cadets receive the same certification as officers from other police departments.

After returning from the academy, cadet officers wear the same uniform, perform the same functions and are subject to the same training standards and expectations as full-time IU Police Department officers. They work part time in a variety of capacities to enhance and complement their academic learning. These assignments include regular patrol as well as numerous special events, including Race for the Cure.

"Our cadet program has a rich history of producing excellent young men and women who have served and are serving in the field of criminal justice and public safety," said IUPUI Police Chief Paul Norris. "This internship program extends to the student cadet the opportunity to actually live and experience as they learn in the classroom. Our goals for the cadet program have always been about education and this will continue in the tradition by combining classroom learning with job skill specific learning to produce a competent and well-rounded IUPUI graduate ready to step into the workforce."

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