DOJ Grant Funding to Bring Multi-Faceted Training to Southwest Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Town of Marion Police Department, in conjunction with the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy, has received an $83,000 grant from the Department of Justice to bring an unprecedented training event to Southwest Virginia.

The funding will make available premier police leadership and management training to over 50 law enforcement agencies throughout Southwest Virginia, a geographical region that without the grant funding would otherwise not have the ability to bring such training to the area.

“These grant funds by the Department of Justice are necessary to bring this cutting-edge training to our law enforcement partners in Southwest Virginia,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “We are dedicated to cultivating the next generation of law enforcement professionals in Virginia, and to make sure they have the skills to navigate the complexities of today’s policing environment.”

Specifically, the Town of Marion Police Department and Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy will bring the “Organizational Management Certificate Program” (OMCP) from the Southern Police Institute, a division of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Louisville established in 1951 whose mission is to enhance the professional development of law enforcement.

The OMCP is a multi-faceted curriculum encompassing vital aspects of modern law enforcement administration including personnel development, operations, budgeting, and organizational leadership, as well as problem solving, performance management, and strategic management for 21^st century policing.

Training consists of four separate courses offered in 40-hour blocks that result in the completion of a college-based certificate program.

The grant funds will pay for 25 seats in each of the four courses and will be offered at no cost to the agencies represented within the Southwest Virginia Region.