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“We can’t have liars here, so we’re not gonna hire you.”

The Kent State Police Academy holds over one hundred and fifty students who hope to make it through and land a law enforcement job. Once they have graduated is when the hard part starts, the process to get hired in a city like Kent, is a long, difficult one.

Potential candidates are weeded out through a written test, physical test, 17 page history packet, background investigation, polygraph and psychological interview.

Lieutenant Prusha is the captain of hiring.

“It’s not done there. Once they get hired, they have a week of orientation with me, that’s where I get them set up with uniforms, accounts on the computer, keys for the cruisers, they qualify at the range shooting, all this stuff. Then they get assigned to field training officers, and they’re evaluated weekly. Their first year is probation so they can be let go.”

The Police Academy Here at Kent State prepares the students for every aspect they will encounter when applying for a variety of criminal justice positions.

Matthew Taylor and Audrey Fielding are both class officers that are both ready and excited to get into the field.

“It might sound cheesy but it’s true. I like living here, I know what this country has given me and I want to give back to it.”

“The Academy is going to provide us with the foundation that we need to go on to our departments and then work with our FTOs to really get a better handle and strong understanding of what we’ll do as police officers.”

If all goes well Taylor and Fielding will graduate in May.

For TV2 KSU, I’m Stefanie Kilnapp