As stories of officer-involved shootings and attacks on police continue to make headlines, cadets in Indiana University's police training program are learning firsthand how to respond in such situations.
The Indiana University Police Department offers the only cadet training program in the country that allows students to work as officers, while studying.
"Our academy here is for IU students only," says IUPD Captain Greg Butler. "We have students here from all of the campuses who will attend the summer and complete the training, and then they'll go back to those campuses to work as police officers."
Cadets begin their day at 6 a.m. for early morning runs and swims. By the end of the program, cadets will go through over 600 hours of training, take 16 exams and end up certified police officers in Indiana.
Katie Colin is senior at IU-Bloomington and is currently training in the Academy, and says that she has always been interested in law enforcement
"Originally I was really interested in going to law school," Colin says. "When I came to college and I heard about IU having this great cadet program, I went ahead and did a year as a cadet and I really just fell in love with being able to go out and just help people and interact with people in my day-to-day life."
Butler is also the Director of Public Safety Education, and runs the Academy. He says that besides standard training, like traffic stops and physical tactics, the cadets also receive extra sexual assault and diversity training, both which are particularly crucial to the Bloomington community.
"It's really allowed us to understand and respect other people, and other races, ethnicities and cultures."
"We do four hours [of sexual assault training], the other academies don't get anywhere near that amount," Butler says.
In light of recent police shootings, Colin says that the Academy's emphasis on diversity training is proves its importance and necessity.
"It's really allowed us to understand and respect other people, and other races, ethnicities and cultures," she says.
Sam Kollums is also a senior at IU-Bloomington in the Academy. He says that the recent police shootings have made him more aware of the difference he will make when he becomes an officer.
"It was just a big eye-opener to realize that this could be me next year, or somewhere in my career," Kollums says.
Like Colin, he says that the training will help him best help the community he is serving.
"It's honestly a little scary," Kollums says. "When I have to make that call. I'll make the right one."
This year's cadets will graduate from the Academy on August 12.
