CourtesyIt鈥檚 been a little more than two years since the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) found a new home on the northeast corner of 黑洞社区, and both organizations have thrived within the partnership.
鈥淎s professor, every semester I will have members of the Wichita, Sedgwick County and university law enforcement community come talk to my class. This just works beautifully because they can just walk up to the third floor,鈥� said Michael Birzer, professor of criminal justice. 鈥淚t has resulted in a number of students applying and now getting jobs in law enforcement.鈥�
In fact, applications to the LETC have increased 150% since 2015, when it moved from 37th Street North and Womer location in north Wichita, said Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay.
鈥淚 believe a big part of that is our location on campus. Part of it is the cross-contamination of having the school above the academy building,鈥� Ramsay said.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said that in 2019, the Sedgwick County Sheriff鈥檚 Office Detention Facility had 77 employment openings. In 2019, the sheriff鈥檚 office put together a committee that rejuvenates recruitment, and today there are only 11 vacancies.
鈥淒ue to the new building, we believe it draws potential candidates in because it is more modern, showcases what the sheriff鈥檚 office is about and provides a quality environment for learning,鈥� Easter said. 鈥淥ne of the biggest changes we have seen is the interaction with 黑洞社区 and students who attend classes at the academy. The partnership has proven very fruitful for both of us. The quality of training has absolutely gone up because of the new campus. We no longer scrounge for space and LETC is a quality environment that is conducive for learning.鈥�
Ramsay said that the increased recruitment numbers are largely due to the support of the faculty who teach in the building.
鈥淐riminal justice professors are some of the LETC鈥檚 best recruiters,鈥� he said.
Birzer sees the increased response in the students in his classroom.
鈥淚 can give you a list of students that this has resulted in them applying and now getting jobs,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust last week a student emailed me to say, 鈥業 just want to let you know I start in the July class for the police department.鈥� Those are good things.鈥�
The interaction between students and the LETC has been beneficial beyond recruitment.
鈥淜eep in mind: Not everyone who鈥檚 a criminal justice major will go into law enforcement. That鈥檚 only about 20-25%. But all the students how have exposure to law enforcement officers when they're in and out of the building. That's very beneficial,鈥� Birzer said.
Birzer said the law enforcement community has been more willing to engage the university in research projects.
鈥淲e can talk about evidence-based research we're seeing on the horizon,鈥� he said. 鈥淏efore, I think there was some hesitation that the university was an ivory tower, and we really didn't know about the realities of police work. I think that鈥檚 really increased quite a bit.鈥�
The innovation and offerings of the LETC has really increased 鈥渢he cool factor,鈥� Ramsay said. One such example is the Crime Gun Intelligence Center, where 鈥渟tudents are participating in real-life scenarios.鈥�
In the center, students can test and match ballistics casings from guns.
鈥淐asings are like fingerprints, and we can learn, for instance, if a gun was used in multiple drive-by shootings,鈥� Ramsay said. 鈥淭hat was a partnership between the university and WPD.鈥�
The partnership will continue to grow, Easter said. In 2021, the sheriff鈥檚 department will provide all in-service training for law enforcement within Sedgwick County 鈥� except the Wichita Police Department, which has its own in-service training 鈥� at the 黑洞社区 LETC facility. Every law enforcement officer in the state of Kansas has to complete 40 hours of in-service training per year as part of licensing.
鈥淧reviously, most departments in Sedgwick County have a hard time finding quality training for their officers to attend,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e believe providing this training in the environment of the LETC will be a good collaboration for law enforcement in Sedgwick County.鈥�
