Law Enforcement, Peace Officer and Public Safety

Category: Emergency, Public and Social Service

Program Description

Ready for a career in criminal justice and public safety? Discover how Hennepin Tech’s Peace Officer program prepares you for a role in law enforcement with top-notch training and education!

Hennepin Tech's Peace Officer Training program, certified by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST board), provides both the academic and skills training needed for law enforcement.

Hennepin Tech’s Peace Officer and Public Safety graduates are known for their knowledge and experience with diverse communities and the various populations within those communities, their strong tactical skills, and exceptional interpersonal communication and critical thinking skills.

We develop our police officer skills training and education programs with input from the community and stakeholders, focusing on addressing systemic and structural inequities. Our Peace Officer courses emphasize equity, evidence-based practices, and data-informed approaches. We train culturally competent peace officers who are ready to serve all people and communities with dignity and respect.

Students learn Minnesota statutes, the U.S. Constitution, criminal and traffic law, and develop skills needed for daily law enforcement. Our experienced faculty bring a wide range of law enforcement backgrounds to the classroom, preparing students to deliver justice effectively.

Mission
Hennepin Technical College is committed to providing peace officer education programs designed to eliminate systemic and structural inequities; developed using community and stakeholder input; and focused on equity-minded, evidenced-based, and data-informed practices. Our programs will deliver, monitor, and assess education and training of culturally competent peace officers who are prepared to deliver justice and serve all people and communities with dignity and respect.

Vision
Hennepin Technical College recognizes the impact of peace officers and other criminal justice professionals in protecting, serving, and transforming lives. We exist to build a better future for our students, their families, and the communities our graduates serve by eliminating systemic and structural inequities in educational access and outcomes and delivering programming that ensures our graduates are prepared to serve with a steadfast commitment to our core values.

Core Values for Our Programs and Students

Cultural competency and responsiveness
Empathy and compassion
Accountability and integrity
Humanity and humility
Social and procedural justice
Trauma-informed decision-making
Service to and input from our communities
Advocacy at local, regional, state, and national levels
Quality through research and continuous improvement

Program Information

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Overview

Workforce services for eligible adults are available through this program authorized by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Click for more info!

Class Time: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening
Semester: Fall or Spring Semester; Summer (practical skills offered)
Campus: Peace Officer & Police Science Center, Brooklyn Park

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Skills Required

To enter the program, you will need to possess:

a valid driver's license
pass a criminal background check
not be prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm
pass a psychological exam that would certify you would not be a harm to yourself or others
pass a physical exam which indicates you have sufficient strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance to satisfactorily complete the firearms, defensive tactics and patrol tactics included in the skills portion of the program

Program Requirements

All Hennepin Tech students are required to pass a physical fitness test during the skills component. Testing will be conducted on the Concept2 Rower at the 60 percentile according to a person's age, gender and weight.

Applicants must row 2000 meters, scoring at or above the minimum 60 percentile on their test in order to pass the fitness test.

The 2000 meter test takes place at the level 5 or damper setting 5 on the flywheel
To view requirements, please visit the Minnesota State Trooper Candidate website and enter your age, gender and weight .

Wages/Outlook/Advancement

Wage and Job Outlook information for this program are available at Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED). Upon successful completion of the program the student will be eligible to take the Minnesota State Peace Officer License Examination. Completion of this Examination is required in order to obtain entry law enforcement positions with state, county, or local agencies.

Accreditation and Affiliations

Our regional accreditation is North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission.

Hennepin Tech's Law Enforcement Professional Licensing Program is accredited by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training and is the only program in the Twin Cities that provides both the academic and skills components of the mandated law enforcement curriculum.

Hennepin Tech's Law Enforcement Professional Licensing Program is a consortium of five Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area community colleges of the Minnesota State system. These colleges include:

Century College
Inver Hills Community College
Normandale Community College
North Hennepin Community College

Articulations

For a full listing of current articulation agreements, visit the Minnesota Transfer website.

Century College
Inver Hills Community College
Minneapolis Community & Technical College
Normandale Community College
North Hennepin Community College
Metropolitan State University

Industry Partners

Our advisory committee is made up of law enforcement professionals from many different agencies. They help guide the program to keep our curriculum current and cutting-edge.

USDE Professional Licensure Disclosure

The Hennepin Technical College Peace Officer curriculum is designed to help prepare students to sit for the professional licensure exam for Minnesota. At this time, Hennepin Technical College is unable to make a determination if the Peace Officer program meets the licensing requirement for any state or US protectorate besides Minnesota. You will want to contact the licensing board in which state you intend to pursue licensure for their requirements, below we provide a link to a list of each states licensing board. If you have further questions about licensure for Law Enforcement please contact Peace.Officer@HennepinTech.edu.

For more information on state licensing boards and their contact information for Law Enforcement visit the Go Law Enforcement website.

Last reviewed 03/01/2024

Award Name	Award Type	Location	Planning Guide	WIOA
Peace Officer & Public Safety	AS	Brooklyn Park	PDF	Yes
Peace Officer	Certificate	Brooklyn Park	PDF	Yes

Some of the General Education requirements have changed and are not reflected in the current catalog. Please schedule an appointment with your program advisor to see how this might affect you.

To be accepted into the Peace Officer program, you must complete the Peace Officer Application in addition to the Hennepin Technical College Application.

For additional information on applying and the application process, please visit the Admissions page.

Our faculty include current and past law enforcement officers who will use their broad experience to give you the best and most practical training possible.

Dale Burns, Faculty
Phone: 763-657-3706
Email: Dale.Burns@HennepinTech.edu

Mark Holden, Faculty
Phone: 763-657-3715
Email: Mark.Holden@HennepinTech.edu

Scott Zierden, Faculty
Email: Scott.Zierden@HennepinTech.edu

The department includes staff dedicated to the program.

Tom Draper, Director and PPOE Coordinator
Phone: 763-657-3726
Email: Tom.Draper@HennepinTech.edu

Kim Schmidt, Receptionist
Phone: 763-657-3700
Email: Kimberly.Lepins@HennepinTech.edu

Carol Peterson, Program Specialist
Phone:
Email: Carol.Peterson@HennepinTech.edu

Our Customized Training Department works directly with law enforcement agencies.

Jordan Wild, Customized Training Representative
Phone: 763-657-3707
Email: Jordan.Wild@HennepinTech.edu