LPD Announces New Partnership with Southeast Community College
Published on May 30, 2024
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow today announced a new partnership with Southeast Community College (SCC) to provide college credits for commissioned officers who complete LPD’s Training Academy and enroll at SCC. The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) is now the first law enforcement agency in Nebraska to partner with SCC on this type of program.
Through the Training Academy Partnership (TAP), LPD Training Academy graduates can apply for up to 30 hours toward an associate of applied science degree in criminal justice.
“The TAP partnership gives our officers a meaningful opportunity to invest in their career success and earn credit toward a criminal justice degree,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “The Training Academy Partnership is another tool in our toolbox to recruit and retain officers and support public safety in Lincoln.”
Chief Morrow said nearly 250 LPD training academy graduates from the past decade are eligible for program credits. She added that the department incentivizes higher education for its officers by providing $300 in additional pay annually for those with an associate degree and $750 for those with a bachelor’s degree.
“We are thrilled that TAP will be the first-of-its-kind at SCC as the college works to model this program with other law enforcement agencies,” Chief Morrow said. “We believe that higher education expands our officers’ knowledge and enhances their leadership abilities, paving the way for future promotional opportunities.”
Details of the program include:
- The program is available to LPD Training Academy graduates from the past 10 years.
- Graduates from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center are eligible for the program.
- Officers are eligible for full tuition reimbursement through the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act.
- The program requires no funding from City of Lincoln or LPD.
Dr. Paul Illich, SCC President, said the collaborative partnership with LPD is significant because it helps establish a pathway for future arrangements with other organizations and agencies.
“To be truly open-access to the life-changing benefits of higher education requires innovation, collaboration, and an openness to discovery,” Dr. Illich said. “I believe the SCC/LPD Training Academy Partnership is an excellent example of what it means to be an open-access institution of higher education, and I look forward to continuing to expand this partnership and to the launching of similar collaborative opportunities throughout southeast Nebraska.”
More information on LPD is available at police.lincoln.ne.gov.