Criminal Justice student: Polk State saved my life
At Polk State College, Tanya Kozak has been told she can be anything she wants to be after years of being told she was nothing. Kozak received her Polk State Associate in Arts degree in…
5 questions with Capt. Bart Davis, director of KCTIPS
The Polk State Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety (KCTIPS) has a new director and he has hit the ground running. Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s Capt. Bart Davis was recently appointed to oversee the…
Weigh career options at Criminal Justice Teach-In
Polk State College’s Criminal Justice Teach-In is an annual event in which Criminal Justice professionals speak to students about their careers and experiences. The public is invited to attend this free event, which will include…
Pakistani Delegation Visits Polk State on Community College Tour
Sixteen Pakistanis who are either administrators for post-secondary vocational and technical institutions or officials with higher education planning responsibilities for community colleges in Pakistan toured Polk State College on Tuesday to learn about the U.S.…
Public Safety Students Get Real-Life Lessons Thanks to Local Businesses
Polk State Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety Law Enforcement Academy cadets participated one recent morning in traffic-stop simulations – lessons that are now more realistic thanks to some local donors. Rick’s Bar-B-Q of…
Honor and Sacrifice: Public Safety Student, Kaitlyn Gladhill, Awarded the Michael Callin Memorial Scholarship
The legacy of Michael Callin can be summarized in two words: honor and sacrifice. Michael, a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, was killed in the line of duty in 2006. To honor his…
Polk State Criminal Justice Teach-In Is April 22; Topics Include Social Media, Active Shooters
Polk State College will host its third-annual Criminal Justice Teach-In at its state-of-the art Center for Public Safety on April 22. “This daylong event gives students and the public a glance at the real-world life…
Community Celebrates Opening of Center for Public Safety
The ribbon has been cut and the Polk State Center for Public Safety is officially open for business. Polk State celebrated the grand opening of the state-of-the-art, 101,450-square-foot facility with a ceremony on Friday,…
Five Questions with Chasity Branham: How Putting Public Safety Cadets on the Stand Prepares Them for the Future
As Polk State Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety cadets near the end of their training, they have their day in court. There is no subpoena. The cases are completely fictional. But the setting,…
Retired Police Chief Teaching at Polk, Aims to Make Students “A Cut Above the Rest”
In his more than 30 years in law enforcement, Raymond Oberg saw many changes. Walkie-talkies and beepers gave way to smartphones. Fingerprinting went digital. With the rise of DNA technology, a single strand of hair could…