25 officers graduate SEMO Law Enforcement Academy ready to serve the community

For the seventh year in a row, the SEMO Law Enforcement Academy (LEA) maintains a 100% pass rate on the Peace Officers Standards and Training Program (POST) exam and has graduated comprehensively trained and sought-after officers.

In Dec. 2024, 25 officers graduated from the LEA. 20 of these graduates have continued on to work for local law enforcement agencies spanning 11 counties throughout southeast Missouri, including the SEMO Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The LEA is a state-licensed training academy that trains officers across a series of topics and objectives outlined by the POST Program, a regulatory governing body within the Missouri Department of Public Safety that issues law enforcement licenses. LEA director Bobby Bollinger summarizes the LEA’s mission.

“Our job is to give students the good foundation and the license that they need to go out and be police officers and to do the job safely,” Bollinger said.

The 19-week program even offers training not mandated by the state, including taser usage, to teach officers skills that local agencies desire. This approach benefits the community by preparing well-prepared officers to staff these agencies.

“The more officers and students that we can graduate, that puts more officers on the street, and typically that means that your community is going to be safer if your department is fully staffed,” Bollinger said.

The SEMO DPS utilizes the LEA for ongoing training purposes and sponsoring cadets to attend the program.

DPS Captain of Police Operations, Jason Morgan, said Missouri law enforcement officers are required to complete 24 hours of police continuing education, or CEUs, per year after graduation. If a particular course within the LEA offers training on a state-mandated core criterion, DPS officers may attend that course free of charge as part of this continued training.

DPS values providing the university with protection and serving the university’s security needs. Morgan lists qualities that the DPS looks for when hiring and training potential officers, focusing on officers’ ability to work with the public.

“[DPS looks for] integrity, strong work ethic, good communication skills and writing skills. Actually, excellent communication skills and writing skills. And then someone is able to have positive interactions with the public. That’s very important to us,” Morgan said.

The department uses proactive patrolling to deter crime and provides security at university events, some including athletic games and special events at the Show Me Center. Morgan explains that crime deterrence through establishing a police presence on campus provides protection for the community.

“We want to have proactive patrolling, so bad guys know we're here. They see that we're here, and they choose to avoid us and the campus. So not only do we serve the community, we protect the community. But we also have to deter it,” Morgan said.

Students can enroll in the LEA program as a stand-alone certificate or as part of their bachelor’s degree. Bollinger adds that the LEA offers more than just Basic Law Enforcement Training. The academy provides training hours and continuing education, including drone training and plans for an implemented evidence technician school.

LEA applications for Fall 2025 will open on April 7. To find out more about the LEA, visit their website.