104th CARLOTA class graduates Maricopa resident

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Four months after starting its regimented training sessions, the 104th Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Training Academy (CARLOTA) class graduated 24 officers.

Graduation ceremonies were held on Sept. 18 inside the Don P. Pence Center for Visual and Performing Arts on the CAC Signal Peak campus.

Anthony J. Lerch from Maricopa, who is with the Ak-Chin Police Department was the only Maricopa graduate.

CARLOTA was first certified in 1973 by the Arizona Law Enforcement Officers Advisory Council, now Arizona POST. Since its inception, CARLOTA has maintained its status as a regional training academy, serving nearly 90 different police agencies while training more than 2,400 officers.

The Police Academy is an 18-week, 720-hour program designed to prepare police recruits for entry into law enforcement officer positions. It involves mandatory physical fitness training, classroom lectures and practical exercises.

Subject matter in the academy includes some of the following: Criminal Justice System, Ethics & Professionalism, Laws of Arrest, Search & Seizure, Rules of Evidence, Juvenile Law & Procedures, Constitutional Law, High Risk Stops, Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs, Crime Prevention, Impaired Driver Cases, Stress Management, and Vehicle & Pursuit Operations.

Upon successful completion of the program, 34 semester hours of academic credit are received in the following areas: Substantive Criminal Law, Defensive Tactics, The Police Function, Criminal Investigation, Communications in Law Enforcement, Traffic Control, First Responder, Firearms, and Physical Training for Police Officers.

These courses can be applied to the administration of justice degree program at Central Arizona College and may be transferable to other institutions.

Who can attend? Cadets must be 21 years of age and be able to meet the Arizona Peace Officer Standards for certification as a peace officer under AZ POST Rule R-13-4-105.

The 105th CARLOTA class will graduate on December 11, while the 106th class will receive its diplomas on January 15, 2009. The 107th class will begin on Jan. 4 and run through May 7, 2009, while the 108th class will be held Jan. 25-May 28, 2009.

For more information on CARLOTA, please contact Central Arizona College via e-mail at [email protected].

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