Henry County Police Department secures approval for in-house academy

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - The Henry County Police Department has received approval from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council to establish its own police academy. This milestone, achieved earlier this month, reflects the county's commitment to producing some of the highest-quality law enforcement professionals in Georgia.

The newly approved Henry County Police Department Law Enforcement Training Academy will be led by Lieutenant Matthew Marlowe, who has been appointed as the Academy Director. The academy is slated to begin its first class on July 1, 2025, with staffing expected to be finalized by early next year.

County officials, including Major Casey McGlamery, have worked on this initiative for nearly a decade. McGlamery noted that after extensive research, planning, and collaboration, the state’s approval marks a significant achievement for the department. 

McGlamery said there are so many benefits to bringing this training in-house. "The Henry County Police Department prides itself on career development and advanced training for its public safety employees. As a part of this training process, we must schedule advanced training through the State academies who also service all law enforcement officers in the State of Georgia and that have limited capabilities in meeting the needs of our department. HCPD is better served by maintaining its own certified State police training academy," he said.

Currently, new cadets receive their mandated initial training at third-party state academies, which requires coordination with external facilities. Establishing a local academy will eliminate this dependency, enabling the police department to conduct training on-site with its own instructors.

Officials also anticipate the academy will positively affect retention rates by offering advanced training for current officers, reducing the need for travel, and saving taxpayers' money. 

The Henry County Police Department is one of the largest police agencies in Georgia, with a budgeted sworn staff of 329 officers. The academy will allow the department to enhance the onboarding process for newly hired, non-certified officers and provide more tailored training to meet its operational needs.