Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy graduates 17 cadets

Seventeen cadets graduated from the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy on Wednesday, June 19, at 11 a.m. The ceremony took place at Walker Recital Hall in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center.

Class 123 graduates include Mitchell Boetcher, Joseph Ericksen, Kyle Jankowski, Benjamin Meyer, Nevan Vodzak, William Walthall, and James Williams, all of Erie; Kenneth Fye and Kyle Krebs, both of Waterford; Marcus Irwin and Ryan VanTassel, of Corry; Gabriel Bleicher, Spartansburg; Nicholas Brundage, Spring Creek; Jonathan Hosier, Centerville; Evan Schmidt, Bradford; Erich Semelka, Union City; and Riley Stoner, New Alexandria.

Several of today’s graduates already have jobs, three with the Erie Police Department, two with the Corry Police Department, and one with Bradford City Police.

Presiding over the exercises was academy Director Bill Hale, who invited Mercyhurst President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., to the podium for welcoming remarks. She was followed by guest speaker and Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz, as well as class speaker Kenneth Fye.

A special tribute was paid to Deputy Director Ron Gluvna for his many years of service to the academy. He is retiring and will be replaced by Kevin Anundson, currently Training Coordinator.

The full-time, intensive training course, which is approximately five months long, is designed for aspiring peace officer recruits who can dedicate their full attention toward completing the program, which satisfies the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officer’s Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) minimum training requirements for Pennsylvania entry-level law enforcement officers.

The course includes fundamental principles, procedures, and techniques of law enforcement, including criminal law, patrol procedures, cultural diversity, investigative procedures, report writing, defensive tactics, firearms, leadership, ethics, community policing, police vehicle operations, traffic enforcement, accident investigation, handling emotional situations, and first aid/CPR. The course also includes a challenging physical conditioning requirement.

Upon completion of the program, students are prepared for positions as police officers, park rangers, municipal authority officers, and many other positions within the criminal justice system.

The academy is located in the Janet L. Miller Building at 5999 State Route 89 in North East.

PHOTO: Class 123 is flanked by (L-R) Deputy Director Ron Gluvna and Director Bill Hale.