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Police Pre-Academy Training for Newly Hired Officers

Police Pre-Academy Training for Newly Hired Officers

(Conway, SC) 5/9/2022

officers in the classroom

PPAT Instructor, Kevin Heins, and officers in the classroom on the Conway Campus at HGTC.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is proud to announce that the College is offering the Police Pre-Academy Training (PPAT) Certificate for local law enforcement agencies. Two groups of new hires from Conway Police Department and Horry County Police Department have completed or are currently completing the PPAT.

Doug Salkeld, a current student in the program, stated, “As a new hire, the HGTC Police Pre-Academy Training is grounding. It is exactly the type of educational approach I would expect as a soon-to-be officer. It enables us to develop the crucial foundation in criminal justice needed to be responsible and trusted community police officers. My classmates and I are glad our agency, the Horry County Police Department, made the decision to partner with HGTC.”

The PPAT is based on four (4) college-level courses matching the first four (4) weeks or blocks of the 12-week Basic Law Enforcement Training certification offered at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA). In addition to satisfying the first four (4) weeks of the PPAT, students receive college credit for each course that can be applied to the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. The four (4) courses are completed in six (6) weeks, and each course is 45-hours in length and based on SCCJA material with supplemental classroom instruction. The students completing the PPAT are assigned an SCCJA class date upon completing clearance at SCCJA in Columbia, including a cumulative exam. There is no cost to the student or his(her) sponsoring law enforcement agency. The PPAT is offered in a schedule that conforms to the hiring patterns of local law enforcement agencies.

The PPAT at HGTC is also offered for non-sponsored students to give those qualified another pathway to become a law enforcement officer. The next course will begin May 16, and tuition is free. For more information, please call Professor Jeff Scott at (843) 349-7140.