Nine students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy will participate in a completion ceremony at 10 a.m., on Friday, August 20, in the Eckburg Auditorium on the Savannah campus (5717 White Bluff Road). Eight of the nine graduates have been hired by area police departments.

This cohort honors APO Charles Van Vleck of Georgia Ports Authority Police Department, who passed away on January 10, 2021.  Vleck had served with the GPA for 18 years and had previously served with the US Coast Guard for 20 years.  He was survived by his wife, four children, grandchildren, siblings, family, and friends.

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 97% placement rate.  For more information visit: www.savannahtech.edu/BasicLawEnforcement.