Seasoned cops get modified training

Jace Radke

Friday, Oct. 1, 1999 | 10:24 a.m.

Officer David Vershall has been a police officer in Ohio for nine years and has served as part of a K-9 unit, but as of Thursday he's a rookie with Metro Police.

Vershall was one of 15 new officers in the first graduating class of Metro's modified police academy, a shortened training course for experienced officers looking to join Metro.

"I saw the camaraderie and the way this department is run and wanted to work here," Vershall said, after graduating at a ceremony at the West Las Vegas Library. "The academy gave us a lot of information really fast, but I believe this will be a good tool for Metro."

The modified academy is designed to teach Metro techniques and training in a 13-week course to officers with three or more years experience. A normal academy for the wet-behind-the-ears rookies lasts 20 weeks, Capt. Mark Medina said.

"We started looking to see if there was a way to take advantage of other agencies' training processes over two years ago," said Medina, who is in charge of Metro's training bureau. "We looked at several models and came up with the 13-week academy, and we believe this will provide a new resource of experienced officers."

The 15 graduates have between four and 14 years of law enforcement experience, ranging from patrol units, sheriff's offices, vice units, gang units and K-9 units. All 15 will now go through 12 weeks of field training.

Nevada recognizes Peace Officer Standards and Training Association, or POST certification, from 38 states, which is a large pot to draw from, Medina said.

The genesis of the modified academy came over two years ago when two officers from Detroit walked into Metro headquarters, Sheriff Jerry Keller said.

"A husband and wife with seven and eight years of experience in the Detroit Police Department stopped in to see what Metro had to offer," Keller said. "One was a SWAT sergeant and the other was in a crime-prevention task force.

"They loved what they saw but didn't want to go through rookie school again. We owe a lot to the personnel and training bureaus for coming up with a way to bring experienced officers to Metro."

Another modified academy will start next year in July or August, and the department eventually hopes to have one every 21 weeks, Medina said.