LCCC’s police academy named Star Academy by Attorney General

Lauren Hoffman
Editor-In-Chief

Lorain County Community College has garnered its fair share of awards throughout the years from being named the most affordable community college, to its designations as being No. 1 in the nation for success.

Their Police Academy is no different either. On Aug 25 Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost visited the college to award the police academy a STAR Academy Certification for its accomplishments of outstanding education and service. 

“Injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere”
Yost first took the stage alongside Marcia Ballinger, Ph.D., president of LCCC, to talk of the importance of law enforcement in today’s world and the troubles they sometimes face.

“Injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere, and what happened in the summer of 2020 was some members of our agency forgot they have a job to protect and to serve,” he said.

Yost continued by explaining how public safety is the very basis of government and that the 11.7 million people in Ohio need the law enforcement for their everyday lives whether they realize it or not. 

“It doesn’t matter how good your schools are, or how beautiful your parks are if people are afraid of going outside,” he said. “What matters is that the rest of us know we need people like you, and we are thankful for your ability to serve.”

World Class
Ballinger agreed with Yost stating how proud and grateful she is for the 22 student officers led by Commander Rick Thomas in the Police Academy.

“I think it’s a tremendous recognition by the attorney general for our world class academy, and it’s a great honor for our college,” she said.

Many of the students are already working alongside local law enforcement agencies as unis in order to gain experience in the field. 

Women in the field
Academy student Brittney Clink-Miller agrees with Ballinger and Yost.

“I am very proud to see women in law enforcement and to be a young woman entering the field,” Clink-Miller said. “I worked with the mounted police as a trainer and developed a quick interest in being an officer myself.”

Officers from Amherst, Avon Lake, Ohio State Highway Patrol and other surrounding areas were in attendance for the presentation to show their support for the young men and women.

High Honors
LCCC’s Police Academy is designated as one of five colleges to offer the peace officer training program and has become one of the first in the nation to receive star certification.

In order to earn STAR certification, academies must have a higher than normal passing rate for their students as well as graduates who go on to active work in the fields.

The STAR certification by the Attorney General continues to show the educational prowess of LCCC. For Ballinger, the college, “may be a community college but we are aimed at providing excellence on a university level.” 

The young officers are expected to graduate May 2023 where they will then go on to continue working in the field all across Northeast Ohio. 

-30-