04/30/2024
Very proud of our Police Department for identifying this wonderful idea to collaborate with our local education system and positively impact the youth of Foley.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT
APRIL 30, 2024
POC: RHEA THORNTON
(251)952-4010
The Foley Police Department and Foley High School are teaming up to provide an avenue for students looking to kickstart a career in public safety. Both the PD and the school system are hoping this addition to the course catalog will give students a chance to get their foot in the door for a career in law enforcement.
The idea began a few years ago when Foley High School sent out a survey to students about out-of-school passions. The goal was to find out what their students were interested in regarding career paths. According to Foley High School Principal Jessica Webb, numerous students expressed an interest in public safety. This is what sparked the conversation of creating a Career Technical Education (CTE) elective for those students interested in law enforcement.
Foley High School plans to have a three-step pathway to earn credits towards the public safety electives. The first class will be Intro to Public Safety. This course will be a year long and already has over 40 students registered for the Fall 2024 semester – with registration still open. Once Intro to Public Safety is completed, the second course would focus on Forensic Science. Due to the introductory course being a year long, this course will not be offered until 2025. Finally, the third class would allow the students to hone in on their field of interest, creating an opportunity to find their specialization.
According to Webb, she wants to give her students any chance she can to thrive. She believes by giving them more career opportunities in the classroom, she will be able to support them when they leave. The Foley Police Department hopes this can bring the younger generation into law enforcement. Foley PD wants to take this opportunity to create a strong connection between the younger generation and law enforcement. This is the perfect pathway to highlight all that law enforcement can offer. Locally, the PD hopes to highlight that there is more than being a patrol officer with communications (dispatch), corrections, and support services. Outside of Foley PD, it will also provide information on police departments, sheriff’s offices, state policing with the troopers, and even national law enforcement. Foley PD hopes that this opportunity shows the younger generation that public safety is more than what is seen on social media. It is serving the community and helping to keep the city they grew up in safe.
After receiving approval from the City on Thursday, April 18th, the new courses are set to begin starting in the Fall of 2024. This new addition is going to be beneficial for not only the school and police department, but for the community as well. The goal of this new CTE pathway is to bring excitement back to public safety. It gives the high school students a chance to learn about law enforcement, and will give them hands-on experience before graduation.