VA LETC and VISN 8 Graduates 38 New VA Police Officers
The North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System recently partnered with the VA Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) to host a Mobile Training Team (MTT) to conduct a remote VA Police Academy Class, here.
Newly hired VA Police recruits from throughout the Veterans Integrated Services Network 8 (VISN 8), or the VA Sunshine Veterans Network, attended the VA Police Officer Standardized Training (P.O.S.T.) course 2403A at the Santa Fe College Institute of Public Safety January 22 to March 15, 2024.
The VA LETC launched this initial pilot program in conjunction with NF/SG VHS, primarily the VA Police training section based at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center. Instructors from the LETC have led the 8-week academy with direct support and assistance from NF/SG training officers.
“The MTT hosted by North Florida South Georgia VHS is a pilot program that has never been attempted for the POST course,” said William Grymes, police service compliance officer for NF/SG VHS Police Services. “Through mutual partnership, North Florida-South Georgia VHS was able to provide 7 certified Law Enforcement Instructors and multiple role-players using the minimum amount of instructor cadre from the VA LETC.”
The LETC is organized into four divisions which include the Academic Programs Division, Technical Programs Division, Advanced Programs Division, and the Training Standards Division. The academic programs division developed the curriculum that all newly hired VA Police Officers complete to provide professional law enforcement services to our Veterans.
It is a first for the Veterans Affairs Police Service. Before the pilot program here in Gainesville, VA P.O.S.T. recruits were trained at the VA LETC campus in Little Rock, Arkansas. The new pilot program is designed to help fill the training and certification needs of VA Police Services, augmenting the training that is done at the primary training facility.
“NF/SG VHS benefited from getting 5 VA Police Officers certified to assist with staffing for the upcoming opening of the new Jacksonville North clinic,” said Grymes.
The P.O.S.T. course covers a wide array of topics: first aid, Firearms, non-lethal weapons, traffic stops, active threat response, crisis intervention team (CIT), and Veteran Centered Policing. Over the course of the eight weeks, recruits will be instructed by certified LETC and NF/SG VHS Training Officers who possess expertise on the specific topics they are tasked with teaching. During the training, recruits are tested on their ability to react to different scenarios, including apprehending a suspect, disarming an assailant, working with mental health crises, and learning resources that are available to Veterans.
An additional benefit is that NF/SG VHA VA Police Instructors are now equipped with the most up-to-date information and training being taught at the VA LETC campus which they can now implement into training at the health system level.
“This class has shown that working within a VISN gives networking opportunities to new Officers as they come together faster, work harder, and push each other to complete tasks,” Grymes continued. “This pilot proved to be beneficial in augmenting the VA LETC, validating the MTT concept, and resulting in more certified VA Police Officers.”
In addition to successfully completing the eight weeks of training, recruits must also pass a physical fitness test and course exams each week before they are able to graduate the VA P.O.S.T. course.
A graduation ceremony for all 38 VA Police Officers who successfully completed the course will be held at the Malcom Randall Veterans Medical Center, March 15, 2024.
For more information on the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, please visit https://www.va.gov/north-florida-health-care/locations/malcom-randall-department-of-veterans-affairs-medical-center/.