Ten students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy will participate in a completion ceremony at 10 a.m., on Friday, February 23, in the Eckburg Auditorium on the Savannah campus (5717 White Bluff Road). Six of these graduates have jobs with area police departments.
 
This cohort honors Levi Cory Adams, former officer from Glynn County Police Dept. and a graduate of the Peace Officer Academy, who passed away suddenly on July 20, 2017 from a vehicle accident. He is survived by his wife Taylor, one son and two daughters, parents Travis and Kerry Thornton and three siblings.
 
Chatham County Chief of Police Jeffrey M. Hadley will be the keynote speaker for the ceremony. Chief Hadley has 26 years of experience in law enforcement and public safety with 14 of those years in senior level management. During his tenure at the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Hadley refocused the organization on building relationships with the community and developing trust as a cornerstone to improved public safety.
 
These students have completed coursework containing the entire Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. Their successful completion of the program qualifies them to be state-certified peace officers. Many candidates are in various stages of the application process with agencies in Georgia. Savannah Tech’s Peace Officer Academy has a 98% placement rate.