City of Perry donates police vehicle to South Georgia Technical College

January 29, 2019

South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy Director Brett Murray (center) is shown above with Corporal Craig Fowler (left) and Captain James Buck (right) of the Perry Police Department presenting SGTC’s Murray with the keys to the donated vehicle for the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy training.

The City of Perry and the Perry Police Department donated a 2013 Ford Interceptor Police Vehicle equipped with lights and sirens to the South Georgia Technical College Foundation to be utilized for skid car driver training for the South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy cadets.

“We are grateful to the City of Perry and the Perry Police Department for their donation and for their support of the South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “They have hired several of our graduates and understand how important this training is for the students and for the communities that hire our graduates.”

The Perry Police Department donated vehicle will be outfitted with a special skid car mechanical system purchased through grant and SGTC foundation funds. The skid car system is an advanced driver training solution that teaches drivers to anticipate car control problems before they occur. A skid car is a car with eight wheels: four on the vehicle and four more on outriggers.

The smaller outrigger wheels are hydraulically controlled to raise and lower the vehicle. With the adjustment of a few switches, instructors can simulate a number of weather-related problems such as hydroplaning, locked brakes and fishtailing. It simulates driving at higher speeds while students train at lower speeds and teaches accident avoidance at low speeds without the use of lubricants.

“The emergency vehicle operation (EVOC) training is an important part of the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy POST certification training and we appreciate the area police and sheriff’s departments working with us so they we can provide this safe but realistic training for our cadets,” said SGTC Law Enforcement Academy Director Brett Murray.

South Georgia Tech is one of five technical colleges in Georgia that are allowed to provide training for new law enforcement officers to receive their basic law enforcement training and obtain college credit at the same time. The cadets undergo 18 weeks and over 700 hours of intense training mentally and physically.

The LEA graduates receive their POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification from South Georgia Technical College as well as a technical certificate of credit that can be utilized toward a diploma or Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. The Law Enforcement Academy program takes 18 weeks to complete and most recruits qualify for the HOPE Grant and other forms of financial aid. Admission standards require all students to undergo a thorough background check and adhere to all rules as set forth by the state POST Council. Students will also have to meet minimum scores in English, reading and math.

For more information about the Law Enforcement Academy contact the Law Enforcement Academy office at 229.931.2716 or SGTC Law Enforcement Academy Director Brett Murray at 229.931.2756; or SGTC Dean Academic Affairs Vanessa Wall in Americus at 229.931.2713.

To make a donation to South Georgia Technical College or the South Georgia Technical College Foundation contact Su Ann Bird, SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation, at sbird@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2110. Donations can be mailed to the SGTC Foundation at P.O. Box 6102, Americus, GA 31709.