The Lincoln University police academy has formed a partnership with a St. Louis City sheriff to train 125 court marshals over the course of the next five years.
"They are going through the program to be post certified," said Gary Hill, LUPD police chief. "That means licensed, commissioned police officers."
Campus enrollment at the police academy is down, but enrollment as a whole has increased due to the new partnership with Sheriff Vernon Betts. There are eight recruits at the LU campus and 25 recruits in St. Louis.
Hill said the number of recruits are decreasing or stagnant across the state.
"I had a police academy directors meeting two weeks ago, and Warrensburg (Central Missouri Police Academy) is the only police academy right now who are really producing some pretty high numbers," Hill said.
The Central Missouri Police Academy currently has 22 recruits attending full-time.
For recruit training on the LU campus, the fall semester began Aug. 16, and St. Louis recruits began training the next day. Currently, the LU and St. Louis classes are part-time and are 5-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays.
Hill had hoped to take the academy full-time, but he said running the academy part time has some advantages.
"Being (on) a night-time schedule allows the instructors who have full-time jobs at other police departments and other police academies to work at our academy as well," Hill said. "I have people who are used to teaching police academies, and know what they're doing, teaching our people as well."