
Spring 2023 Semester starts, enrollment continues at Polk State

Classes have started at Polk State College, but there is still time to enroll for the Spring 2023 Semester. Registration continues for 12-week classes, which will start on February 6, and eight-week classes that will…

NIA prepares participants mentally and physically for next stage of career

The STEM-based National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA) gives participants the knowledge needed to become agency leaders and to keep up with the ever-evolving professions of law enforcement and corrections. Over the eight-week executive-level course…

Polk State invites community to January 11 MLK Celebration

Polk State College will host its 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at noon in the Winter Haven Campus Student Center (WST). The event is free and open…

NIA instructor and award-winning journalist helps bridge gap between media, law enforcement

For the past 15 years, investigative journalist Steve Gregory – intentionally or not – has been bridging the gap between media and law enforcement. Gregory is among several renowned guest lecturers at the National Public…

On-campus labyrinth to serve as stress reliever for Polk State students

Final exam week can bring added stress for college students, but for Polk State College, a permanent stress relief tool is in the works. Professor Mary Ann Murdoch is leading the charge to bring a…

Quality of presenters, networking opportunities, facilities stand out for first NIA class

As far as command schools go, the National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA) at Polk State College’s Center for Public Safety has it all. Polk State and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office launched NIA in…

Center for Human Simulation brings Polk State Health Sciences to forefront

Through significant investment, including grant funding, Polk State College took another big step toward meeting workforce demand, primarily in health sciences, with the Nov. 18 grand opening of the Center for Human Simulation. The Center…

NIA sends off 20 members of first graduating class

Law enforcement and corrections officers, from agencies large and small, left Polk State’s Center for Public Safety on Nov. 18 equipped with the tools needed to take the next step in their careers and to…

National Public Safety Innovation Academy prepares law enforcement and corrections for next step in careers

Launched in September at Polk State College’s Center for Public Safety in partnership with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA) gives law enforcement and corrections staff the tools they…

Sheriff’s deputy pursues dream of flying for law enforcement at Polk State Aerospace

Odalys Hurtado describes one of her biggest challenges as being a petite female in the law enforcement profession, but her ambition is greater than her stature, inspiring her to become a pilot so that she…