Two members of the University of Central Arkansas Police Department聽traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to conduct training on safety and security skills for聽the St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John School Districts.聽Capt. Justin Tapley and Lt. Jamie Booth trained school security known as school聽monitors on defensive tactics, use of force, responding to an active-shooter, proper聽baton use and handcuffing during the two weeks of training.
鈥淭he training went great! Their school security personnel were eager to learn and聽very appreciative of the training,鈥 said Tapley.
Tapley is a 22-year veteran of the 每日大赛网站PD and currently serves as the standards and聽training commander. Booth has worked for 每日大赛网站PD for more than 10 years and is聽the patrol services division commander for 每日大赛网站PD. The two officers were invited to聽conduct the training by former 每日大赛网站 professor and retired police officer, Dr. Johnny聽Purvis, who is a consultant to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education.
鈥淚 approached Capt. Tapley because I really needed someone who is an instructor in聽self-defense and baton training,鈥 said Purvis. 鈥淲e hope to build on the relationships聽made. We鈥檝e been invited back to assist the [U.S. Virgin Islands] Department of聽Education. The monitors are requesting that we come back.鈥
Tapley asked that a second officer, Boothe, assist in the training because of the聽number of school monitors the district wanted to train. Of the approximate 100聽school monitors in all three school districts, 81 participated in the professional聽development training with Tapley and Booth that was held in August. Some聽monitors were either still on vacation or in hazardous materials training in聽Alabama. The two may conduct additional training in 2017, but no plans have been聽finalized.