Officer Jordon Noble.

POST Academy completes second term

North Idaho training keeps costs down; officers stay in own community

By: Rahana Zellars

Posted: 11/16/09

The Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy (POST) recently completed its second term at NIC. Police officers from Kootenai County and the surrounding areas graduated from their 13-week training in the Hedlund Building.

The POST is a police academy that officers must attend within their first year in law enforcement. The academy training goes for 13 weeks and holds a maximum of 25 students and a minimum of 12. The latest class started Aug. 10 and ended Nov. 6.

The academy trains officers in everything from arrest techniques to standard field sobriety testing. Most of the training is at NIC, except firearms, which are taught at Fernan Lake, and emergency vehicle operation, which is taught at the Coeur d'Alene Airport.

The officers are from Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Rathdrum, Bonners Ferry, Shoshone, Idaho State Police and the sheriff's office. There are currently 13 officers preparing and training for their law enforcement careers.

Michael Berg, 66, has been the director of the program since January. He has 34 years of experience in law enforcement.

The academy is taught by 60 POST-certified instructors that specialize in a specific field.

"The officers are being taught and learning from instructors in this area so when they come out of the academy, they maintain a working relationship," Berg said.

Until April 6, the statewide training was only offered in Meridian, a suburb of Boise. The North Idaho Academy currently remains a pilot program that is to be evaluated by Boise State and the Idaho Post after the Nov. 6 completion. This will determine if the Northern Idaho branch will continue.

"So far, Southern Idaho has remained very supportive of the new program," Berg said. "I have no doubt that we will successfully complete the evaluation, no doubt at all."

In the past, all officers had to travel to Meridian for their training, leaving their lives and families behind. The opening of the POST program in North Idaho has given officers an opportunity to stay and train in their own community.

Jerry Lema, 39, probation and parole officer for the Department of Corrections, had to travel to Southern Idaho for his academy.

"Now that there is a POST in North Idaho," Lema said, "I feel the quality and the numbers of officers that are produced will be a huge asset to the state in these tough economic times."

The academy cost has been has been cut by having POST training in North Idaho.

"The trainings in Southern Idaho can cost the state $6,000 which are paid for by traffic fines and court fees," Berg said.

The cost includes travel expense, room, board and food. The North Idaho Academy costs $1,133 in which the tuition is paid for by the officers' agencies. This is subject to change if the academy remains a fixture after the evaluation.

Having the academy in North Idaho can help to benefit the community in many positive ways.

The cost of the program can help save the state money.

Keeping the training in North Idaho will help the officers from having to travel away from their homes. Also, the academy may help build better relationships with their future colleagues.