Lincoln University graduated seven new police officers Wednesday night in Jefferson City, bringing the total number of law enforcement officers to graduate from the nation's first and only police academy at a historically Black university to 54.
Almost half of the officers produced from the Lincoln University Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated from its St. Louis program stationed at Harris Stowe State University, Missouri's only other HBCU.
The fact that minorities have been represented in every class so far is "huge," said LU Police Chief Gary Hill, who oversees the academy.
"One of the things that we teach is to make sure our law enforcement agencies mirror the community," he said. "What we've come to find out in studies done by the Department of Justice is that people trust their law enforcement agencies more because they feel like they're being represented when we have minorities and underrepresented people in their law enforcement (agency), including females."
Hill said it's often easier for people to talk to people of the same race, gender or ethnicity when, say, reporting a crime. He said diversity also allows agencies to better see situations from different perspectives and recruit other minorities.
The diversity of the officers produced through Lincoln's police academy and the inclusive skills they gain are selling points, according to Hill and University President John Moseley.
Moseley said Wednesday's graduation served as a reminder of why Lincoln is in the education arena.
"We know one of the attractions at Lincoln University is that we will equip you with a more diverse mindset and an inclusive skill set, along with the ability to meet diverse needs of the communities that you will serve," Moseley told the graduates at Wednesday's ceremony.
He said Missouri, like many states around the nation, is facing a police shortage and he's proud Lincoln graduates will answer the call to serve.
Some of the officers received a badge Wednesday night while others are still in the process of finding the area they will serve. All took the oath of honor.
Two of the seven graduating officers received money from the state to attend the academy and two more are receiving the Blue Scholarship next year. Wednesday's graduates were also the academy's highest scoring class on academic assessments, Hill said.
The class had students from Miami; New Orleans; Owensboro, Kentucky; Clarksville, Tennessee; and St. James, Holts Summit and Jefferson City.
"Our nation needs your commitment to serve with unwavering bravery to diffuse situations with peace, pride and a high level of community care," Moseley told them.
Hill urged the graduating officers to wear the badge as they live their life and to be a role model for future generations and the communities they will serve.
He said police officers are often dealing with people who are having the worst day of their life.
"When you feel like you can no longer give your community the best version of you that you're supposed to be giving every day, take some time off," Hill told the new officers. "... When you come back, if you still feel the same way, step aside. Let someone else come and do the job."
Five classes in, Hill said he's happy with the consistent size of the classes coming into the academy. He set a goal of having five to 12 officers in each class for the first three years.
"We are well within that," he said. "One of the things that I had hoped happen, happened, and this is the ensuring that minorities and other underrepresented people are in every academy class. And we haven't even had to recruit that."
Hill said Lincoln often has international students interested in enrolling in the police academy but they can't because they're not American citizens. Police academies don't provide a pathway to citizenship like the military does, he added.
Hill said the Missouri Department of Public Safety would be responsible for adding in a pathway to citizenship at police academies.
The police academy's next class, currently at 11 students, begins Jan. 17. The academy in St. Louis will graduate 25 students in April.
Photo courtesy of Lincoln University
Seven officers graduated from the Lincoln University Law Enforcement Training Academy Wednesday night. It's the fifth class to graduate from the academy, which puts the total number of police officers trained through the university at 54.