Students leverage criminology training to kickstart careers with local, state and federal police.🚔🎓 Cheyenne Stooks is a rookie on the City of Moscow Police Department police force. The former U of I criminology student is also a grappler and is experienced in emergency medical procedures, the use of firearms, high speed car chases and the arduous practice of calming crime victims and ensuring their safety. Much of what Stooks knows as a patrol officer was first introduced to her as a student on the Moscow campus where she enrolled in a one-week police mini academy and graduated to become a police cadet. “The cadet program is designed to give students a chance to experience law enforcement training in a realistic and grounded way,” Joseph De Angelis, an associate professor in the U of I’s criminology program noted. “It gets them out of the classroom. It gives the Moscow Police Department time to interact with them, and it gives our students a direct education in what it means to work in law enforcement.” Students receive training that will help them be successful when they enter the market for law enforcement jobs after they graduate. Students learn how to safely perform traffic stops, how to put handcuffs on, how to detain, control and if necessary, how to grapple with someone. Cadets learn to shoot handguns and basic lifesaving skills. “The Moscow Police Department’s trainers have a tremendous amount of expertise and experience, and the program allows students to undergo pretty rigorous training,” De Angelis said. “The cadets leave this program with practical knowledge and skills that are not available to most undergraduate students.” Officer Jacob Tesdahl, who leads the program for the police department said the cadet mini-academy and the year-long cadet program has successfully turned students into prospective police officer applicants as they apply to local departments as well as for state and federal law enforcement jobs. (fb)

As the sun sets on another great semester, tell us your highlights from the last year. 💛 #VandalSpiritFriday (fb)