Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College announced the graduation of 39 students who successfully completed program requirements in the Law Enforcement Skills Training Program during Summer Session 2017. A ceremony was held at the college on Friday, June 30, with more than 300 people in attendance. This is the seventeenth group of students to participate in the Law Enforcement Skills Training Program at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
Students completed the intensive hands-on training on June 30, 2017. The 500 hours of skill training is required of all individuals seeking careers as peace officers in Minnesota. Students complete classroom training in addition to participating in the skills training program. After classroom and skills training, students are required to pass the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board exam to become eligible for employment as a peace officer in Minnesota.
Skills training topics include: accident investigation, bombs and explosives, civil disturbance calls, mobile field force, crimes in progress response, domestic violence investigation and intervention, drug interdiction, DWI detection and standardized field sobriety testing, emergency vehicle operations, radar enforcement, traffic stops, crime scene investigation, gang education, drug and controlled substance investigations, report writing, aerosol chemical weapons and chemical agents, pressure point control tactics, and firearm training.
The Law Enforcement Skills Instructor of the Year Award as selected by the students was given to Jon Haataja, a retired police officer from Duluth, and the Les Northrup Award recognizing student leadership and outstanding extra effort was given to graduating student John Hodgkins of Hermantown.
The Law Enforcement Program at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has an enrollment of more than 200 students each year, making it one of the most popular programs offered at the college, and one of the largest Law Enforcement training programs in Minnesota.
The following students successfully completed the Law Enforcement Skills Program at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College:
Fairbanks, AK
Nicholas MacCheyne
 
Ossian, IA
Jayden DeVilbiss
 
Blaine, MN
Casey Brandon
 
Cloquet, MN
Joseph DeFoe
Austin Johnson
Nathanial Johnson
Mason Kraskey
Tawnee Lee
Zachary Peterson
Cameron Salmi
 
Cottage Grove, MN
Daniel Vomastek
 
Duluth, MN
Ryan Bradley
Cody Budisalovich
Adam Hockman
Tanner Johnson
Evan Komarek
Brandon Kucharski
Andrew Larson
Christian Lemon
Jacob Valentine
Cooper Valesano
 
Hermantown, MN
Brody Hicks
John Hodgkins
Riley O’Donnell
Margaret Roper
 
Hibbing, MN
Jacob Gargano
 
Nett Lake, MN
Cheryl Carlson
 
Proctor, MN
Calen Porter
Parker Strongitharm
Benjamin Watczak
 
Silver Bay, MN
Allison Morris
 
Willow River, MN
Kyle Pavek
 
Superior, WI
Heather Barnes
James Lamoreaux
Dane Morin
Alyssa Schlichting
Paige Wedan

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I chose FDLTCC because of its size and the curriculum. When I first came here in 2019, I was just looking for what I needed to volunteer, perhaps in a crisis shelter. I met with Don Jarvinen, and the rest is history.

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