Albany Tech works to relieve law enforcement shortage

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – Albany Technical College is helping to train the next group of police officers. This comes as many agencies are experiencing extreme shortages.

Lynn Miller is the department chair for the criminal justice technology program at Albany Tech. Starting her career in law enforcement, she transitioned to teaching.

“There is a shortage in our area. People aren’t signing up for the job like they used to. I just wanted to inspire and encourage others to join the field. It’s a very rewarding field to go into.” said Miller.

Through the program, students can go into multiple different paths in criminal justice. They use a courtroom to give students real world experience, giving students the ability to see how the courtroom works and listen to testimony.

They also simulate crime scenes so students learn how to secure a scene and collect evidence.

Lt. E. Duron Thompson works for the Albany Police Department now, but he went through the program at Albany Tech.

Starting in welding and transitioning to criminal justice, he said it was the right move.

“It’s one of the most rewarding careers you could ask for. You couldn’t ask for something any better,” said Thompson.

Thompson said one of the most rewarding parts of the career is helping people in a time of need, but there are some challenges.

One is being away from family during the holidays.

“Also, being born and raised in Albany, Ga. The most challenging thing has been encountering those that I grew up with on the other side of the law. For the most part, the good has definitely outweighed the bad,” said Thompson.

Albany Tech has about 150 students going through the program each year. The course can take anywhere from six months to two years to complete.

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