James W. Mitchell joins South Georgia Technical College as the full-time Director in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Classes start August 11.

James W. Mitchell of Claxton, GA, has joined South Georgia Technical College as the full-time Basic Law Enforcement Academy (LEA) Director, announced SGTC President Dr. John Watford. He will report to Vice President of Academic Affairs Julie Partain. The LEA classes begin August 11.

Mitchell has nearly 30 years of experience as a certified Georgia Peace Officer. He is a certified Academy Director, certified senior, general, firearms, and defensive tactics instructor as well as certified crime scene technician, SWAT officer, field training Officer, health and wellness Instructor and crisis intervention team member. He also has POST Intermediate and Advanced Peace Officer Certifications and POST Supervision and Management Certifications in addition to being a certified Emergency Medical Responder.

Mitchell was serving as a Criminal Justice/Forensics Instructor at Southern Crescent Technical College prior to joining South Georgia Technical College. He served as the Director (Major) of the Ogeechee Technical College Georgia POST Certified Law Enforcement Academy from 2015 to 2017. He served as the Academy Lead Instructor/Coordinator there five years before being named Director. He taught as a Law Enforcement Academy Instructor and Adjunct Criminal Justice Instructor at Reinhardt University and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.

He has worked as a Law Enforcement Officer at a number of different colleges as well as police and sheriff’s departments. He was also a member of the U.S. Army special Forces SOT-A and a U.S. Army Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Mitchell has a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University. He has also been published and presented as a number of different conferences.

As the full-time Basic Law Enforcement Director at SGTC, Mitchell will be responsible for the day-to-day operation on the Law Enforcement Academy. That will include curriculum development and management, managing additional faculty and staff, evaluating program effectiveness, ensuring quality of instruction, grants, developing and managing budgets, and delivery of instruction. He will also provide instruction in basic, advanced, and specialized law enforcement topics.

The South Georgia Technical College POST (Peace Officers Standards Training) Certified Law Enforcement Academy began in 2009. It takes 18-weeks to complete and successful HOPE Grant qualified candidates can attend practically tuition free and receive college credit toward an associate of applied science in Criminal Justice.

The SGTC POST Certified Law Enforcement Academy is a rigorous program that consists of approximately 800 course hours. After successful completion, cadets are eligible for POST certification and for employment as an entry-level law enforcement officer. They also earn a 43-credit hour technical certificate of credit from SGTC.

In Georgia, the certification process to become a police officer is regulated by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST). Candidates pursuing the Basic Law Enforcement Training must be at least 18-years of age, a U.S. Citizen, have a high school diploma or its equivalent; not have been convicted of a crime for which punishment could have been imprisonment, undergo a background investigation, be fingerprinted, complete an entrance exam, and undergo a physical and psychological examination.

For more information about the South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy contact Melissa Grantham at 229-931-2716 or mgrantham@southgatech.edu or Josh Blake at Joshua.blake@southgatech.edu or call at 229-931-2701. Students must also apply to South Georgia Technical College and contact Admissions Director Candie Walters at cwalters@southgatech.edu or visit the SGTC website at www.southgatech.edu and apply online.

On-campus housing is also available for Law Enforcement Academy students and others. SGTC is one of only two technical colleges in Georgia with on-campus housing.