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Chief James McMillen

Chief's Corner

James McMillen is chief of Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

Chief James McMillen: Requirement extended to enlarge DPS applicant pool

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

One thing that continues to amaze me is the training that our officers need to do the jobs they do. It is extensive to say the least and it only seems to increase as time goes on. The SEMO Law Enforcement Academy class is 800 hours and takes five months to complete. Once we hire these candidates, their patrol field training can take almost four months. The training cannot stop there, as we are a public safety department. Our officers must complete fire fighter one and two certifications to work here. The fire academy, which is both classroom and on the job training, can take anywhere from six to nine months depending on several factors. Finally, to get these new officers where they need to be, they need some time working in both divisions to become a competent officer in both disciplines. So, you see why we say it can take two to three years to get that new hire on their feet and give us a return on our investment.

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