Central Texas College Police Academy Equips Cadets for Careers in Law Enforcement
Hands-on training prepares future officers, helps address statewide staffing shortages

KILLEEN, TX (May 27, 2025) — Central Texas College (CTC) Police Academy cadets took to the training track for rigorous defensive driving exercises as part of the hands-on instruction designed to prepare them for real-world scenarios they will face as law enforcement officers.

Cadets navigated two challenging driving courses, including a timed backing course that penalizes five seconds for each cone displaced. Cadets then advanced to the precision driving course, maneuvering through a field of more than 2,000 pylons to demonstrate their control and spatial awareness.

This course is academically intensive, but also includes critical performance-based instruction," CTC Police Academy Training Coordinator Clifton Osborne said. "With several thousand cones laid out, the driving exercises can be disorienting. It’s designed to test and sharpen their skills under pressure."

Cadets in the current academy represent communities across Central Texas, including Copperas Cove, Evant, Harker Heights, Lampasas, Hamilton, Manor, Coryell County, Mills County, and Granite Shoals.

"The instructors are very informational. They have a lot of knowledge. They’ve been 20+ years in the law enforcement field," academy cadet Dennis Rodriguez said.

Fellow cadet Ariel Hutchins said the academy prepares the future officers not just with technical skills but also mentally and emotionally.

"They work with you. They definitely want to make sure when you leave here that you are 100% comfortable in what you are going into, equipped with both the knowledge and the experience,” Hutchins said.

CTC cadets also receive training in a variety of essential skills, including fingerprint analysis, firearms handling, arrest and control techniques, emergency medical response, patrol procedures, and traffic stops.

“We’re committed to student success,” Osborne said. “Once you’re in the academy, our goal is to help you graduate and pass your Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) exam.”

Central Texas College offers four cadet academies each year. The next academy begins September 8. The deadline to enroll is August 29. For registration and program details, visit: https://www.ctcd.edu/academics/programs-of-study/explore-academic-programs.