Law enforcement officials gather at Valdosta Tech

Published 4:08 am Tuesday, December 6, 2005

VALDOSTA — Eight local law enforcement officials met at Valdosta Technical College recently to discuss the beginning of a new program.

The college’s new Law Enforcement Program kicks off in January. Class graduates will provide a qualified pool of potential employees for the agencies.

Joseph Dukes of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office; Deputy Warden Ted Philbin and Warden Donald Barrow, both of the Valdosta State Prison; Major Audie Rowe, assistant chief of the Adel Police Department; Bruce Powers, director of security at South Georgia Medical Center; Lt. Terry Arnold, Investigator and Capt. Colin Millison, chief deputy, both of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Frank Simons of the Valdosta Police Department attended the lunch meeting, along with several Valdosta Tech administrators.

Law Enforcement Program Coordinator Shannon Floyd was recently hired to teach the program. She brings a wealth of experience in law enforcement from her jobs with the Valdosta Police Department.

Over the past nine years, she has served in several positions including patrol officer, detective, crime scene technician, firearm examiner and forensic specialist.

Floyd has also taught criminal justice at Valdosta State University.

Mike Bass, new programs coordinator at Valdosta Tech, spoke to the group about the ladder approach of instruction.

New students will begin in a technical certificate course that does not require placement testing and ladder into a diploma or associate degree program, he said. The law enforcement program has three areas of specialization — law enforcement, corrections and private security.

All three programs qualify for the HOPE Grant which pays tuition, fees and up to $100 a quarter for books for all Georgia residents, military personnel stationed in Georgia and their dependents.