Experience in fighting crime

The IU Police Academy is unique to IU because it allows students with an interest in law enforcement the opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on experience.\nUnlike other campus police forces, the IUPD also lets students police other students.\nThis difference is the reason some federal officials have their eye on the program.\n"I think the IUPD program is outstanding and am frankly surprised that it hasn't been adopted by other schools," said James Davis, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Bureau. "It is a tremendous opportunity for students to receive their certification and some initial experience, and it gives the IUPD resources to draw upon in order to accomplish their mission."\nIn the academy, the cadets receive all of the law enforcement training required by the State of Indiana and can then return to work as full-fledged police officers at their respective IU campuses until the time of their graduation.\nThe program then increases the officers' marketability in the job field because they already have experience in police work.\nThe academy program benefits the department, because it gives them the ability to gather part-time officers into service anytime they need. \n"No one in this country has students as actual police officers," Butler said. "We can rely on our own resources for our activities and events."\nStudent police also come in handy in the overall effectiveness of the IUPD because students policing students breaks down some of the barriers of an "us versus them" mentality, Butler said. That barrier is broken by part-time officers living in the dorms and socializing with other students.\nEvery year the IUPA receives between 70-80 applications from IU students who want to enter the IUPD's Cadet Program.\n"I do not feel that it was too hard being accepted into the IUPA program," said officer and senior Dan Keeler, who graduated from this year's academy Aug. 16. "The application was very straight forward. However the interview was fairly intimidating, with a lieutenant and two sergeants sitting across from me with a video camera drilling me with questions."\nOfficer and junior Will Keaton said he thinks the IU's program has given him a broader outlook on life.\n"Just being in situations where you can see all the different types of people on campus in all different settings that you normally would not be in gives so much insight to you about the world around you," he said. "I think I have also grown up quite a bit since getting in the academy.\n"I think the key words are discipline and pride, which IUPD does its best to instill in us."\nButler said these "higher standards" are the basis for all the academy teaches the cadets.\n"Not everyone can do what they're being asked to do," Butler said. "The standards help them develop the attitude that they 'can-do' whatever they're called upon to do."\n-- Contact staff writer Brandon Morley at bmorley@indiana.edu.