
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…

Polk State KCTIPS cadets sit in on “eye-opening” hearings

Students at the Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety (KCTIPS) at Polk State College put in hundreds of hours of training to become certified as law enforcement, corrections, or probation officers. On Tuesday, Sept.…

Polk State College receives $375K+ through FDOE’s Open Door Grant Program

Polk State College has partnered with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to provide students with grant funding for in-demand, high-quality workforce programs that allow them to quickly gain critical skills needed in Polk County’s…

Florida Department of Education’s Division of Career & Adult Education Chancellor visits Polk State

Polk State College was honored to welcome Henry Mack, Chancellor of the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Career and Adult Education, to Polk County on Wednesday to tour the College’s state-of-the-art workforce training facilities…

Polk State KCTIPS Director Capt. Garcia: Growth comes from getting out of your comfort zone

Capt. Theresa Garcia’s 20-year career in law enforcement has been a successful one, with Garcia quickly rising through the ranks, starting her career as one of few female narcotics detectives, and now settling into the…

KCTIPS students receive Dustin Ramsey Memorial scholarships in memory of late recruit

Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety (KCTIPS) recruits Clayton Cox and Brad Johnson were each awarded $1,000 from the Dustin Ramsey Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of the late recruit remembered…

Polk State KCTIPS recruit receives Michael Callin Memorial Scholarship

One ambitious Polk State College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety (KCTIPS) recruit recently received the Michael Callin Memorial Scholarship for her commitment to serving the community and doing so with integrity. KCTIPS recruit…

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…

Polk State presents Criminal Justice Teach-In

Polk State held its Fifth Annual Criminal Justice Teach-In on April 27 at the Polk State Center for Public Safety. Speakers from the fields of investigations, K-9, courts, corrections, probation, and human trafficking gave students…