MCC-Blue River police academy on Fox 4 News

The recent MCC-Blue River police academy graduation was covered by Fox 4 News (see video below):

Booker Armstrong, now police captain at MCC-Blue River, recently graduated from the school’s own police academy, making him an official officer of the law. MCC has now attained its goal of upgrading the campus security force to a police department with the graduation of Armstrong and his three academy mates, Zach Goode, Joseph Ham and David Cooper.

The formation of the police force was a proactive step toward
greater campus safety. Across the nation, violence in schools at all levels has been reported more often with each passing decade, so Metropolitan Community College elected to make a definitive move for the safety of MCC students.

MCC-Blue River Police Captain Booker Armstrong said that graduating from the police academy “meant a high level of achievement.”

MCC-Blue River police
captain Booker Armstrong

“I’ve been here five years as a public safety manager,” said Armstrong. “When they first had the governor’s task force and wanted to look at making the campuses more safe, and then when the district met and said, ‘we want police officers now,’ I had to make a decision. And my decision was, you know, I really love working for MCC, and I wanted to be a part of this new direction.

“Now that I am a post certified police officer and captain of this campus, I feel pretty good about that.”

Armstrong said that the paramilitary style of training at the MCC-Blue River Police Academy is quite rigorous, making for “a long eight months.”

The biggest changes we will see here on campus, according to Armstrong, will be that “In the minds of students, faculty, and even visitors, you’ll see a better level of protection. We have ex-law enforcement, we have post certified people, we have the tools, the training and the experience to make a big difference on campuses now. I feel great about that.”