St. Lawrence University’s Department of Safety and Security hosted its 15th Annual New York State Certified Security Officer/Guard Training Academy June 14 through 18.
The department welcomed officers from Clarkson University, Colgate University, Hobart William Smith Colleges, Middlebury, Norwich University, Paul Smith’s College, Skidmore, St. Lawrence University, and Williams College.
“We began our academy in June 2006 with plans to offer affordable, in-depth training for colleges and universities on topics relative to the university security and safety departmental operations,” said Patrick Gagnon, assistant vice president of Safety and Security and Emergency Management. “Each year, we send out an open invite, and even those with four-year degrees in criminal justice and investigations often attend. This is a chance for them to see if security operations might be something that interests them.”
The St. Lawrence University Security Officer/Guard Training Academy offered instruction which included effective communication, New York State security guard courses, Clery Act, Title IX investigations, CPR/First Aid and AED, defensive tactics, bomb recognition, fire safety, domestic violence, sexual assaults, stalking, cultural diversity and drug recognition. Attendees who completed the academy are licensed security officers for a period of one year.
The Safety and Security team was forced to cancel the 2020 academy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s academy was held at the Best Western University Inn in order to follow the University’s COVID-19 protocol since St. Lawrence students were in residence for the Summer Semester at the time of the training.