Excerpts from wifr.com:
Local police and fire departments who may have trouble with recruitment may be in luck if a bill in the Illinois House of Representatives gets enough support from state lawmakers.
State Rep. Dave Vella (D-68) introduced a new bill that could add more police and fire personnel locally through a two-year program at community colleges like Rock Valley College.
Currently, high schoolers can take a fire safety and public safety course during their senior year. The goal behind this bill is to get incoming college freshmen who want to work in the police or fire department to obtain an associate’s degree through a two-year course at a community college. That way after graduation they can have the ability to become a police officer or firefighter.
In order to become a police officer under the current Illinois law, you must go through the Illinois Training Standards Board. Getting this type of training into local community colleges will provide a two-year course instead of a 12-week course, which could lead to better training and more hands-on experience before they enter the workforce.
Since most people who graduate from a community college are under 21 years old, Vella plans to have some sort of apprenticeship program with local police departments until new recruits can get a FOID card at age 21.
