Law enforcement presence grows at former Lindenwood-Belleville campus with new training program
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s corrections officer training program is moving to the former Lindenwood University-Belleville.
The 2300 W. Main St. complex is now known as the Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workforce Development Campus.
The corrections officer training will become a Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy program there after SWIC recently signed an agreement with St. Clair County.
The city of Belleville owns the campus. SWIC is one of the groups using classroom and office space, as well as dorms. But the college doesn’t pay rent because it also manages the buildings, grounds, tenants and activities in its agreement with the city.
Under the agreement for the corrections officer training program, the program director will still come from St. Clair County. SWIC will pay the county for the “administration costs” of the program director. The agreement doesn’t include a dollar amount.
SWIC is also adding a college credit element to the training, so it will collect tuition from the participating departments or agencies.
“The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department has operated the Corrections Academy for almost three decades. Since that time, the program has gained a reputation of providing excellent training to officers throughout the State of Illinois,” SWIC said in a statement to the Belleville News-Democrat. “... The Corrections Academy will be another SWIC Police Academy Program while still maintaining the association and reputation of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.”
The college added that the move to the Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workforce Development Campus will allow the training program to serve more officers. Corrections officers work in jails or prisons.
The 121st class recently graduated from the existing training program.
Program director Lt. Karl Pannier couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The one-year agreement between the college and the county takes effect Jan. 1.
The St. Clair County Board and SWIC Board of Trustees each approved the agreement at their meetings this month.
Justice and workforce development campus tenants
These are the groups using the Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workforce Development Campus:
City of Belleville departments of Health, Housing and Building, Code Enforcement and Engineering and Economic Development have offices in the complex.
Southwestern Illinois College’s police academy uses classrooms, offices and dorms. SWIC is not required to pay rent under its 10-year intergovernmental agreement with the city.
Illinois State Police, in partnership with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, uses 4,416 square feet of classroom and laboratory space for its Illinois State Police Forensic Science Institute to train forensic scientists and criminal investigators under a five-year intergovernmental agreement. Rent costs $68,000 the first year with a 2% increase each subsequent year.
Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission uses 1,650 square feet of classroom and office space to provide continuing education for police officers from seven counties under a 10-year lease. Rent costs $25,000 a year. The commission paid all $250,000 up front using a grant from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
Southwestern Illinois Jets Basketball Club uses two gymnasiums, offices and a locker room under a five-year lease. Rent costs $75,000 the first year with an 1% increase each subsequent year. The agreement is non-exclusive, which means the city can also rent the gyms out for other athletic events.
Southern Illinois University School of Law uses office space and a classroom for its Metro East Criminal Justice Experiential Learning Program. It is a pilot program that launched in August, according to the governor’s office. The governor stated that SIU is planning to invest $3.5 million in the pilot program this year, with class sizes increasing in the future.
The campus includes numerous buildings with classrooms and offices, two residence halls, and recreational facilities, including a 900-seat auditorium and athletic fields, SWIC President Nick Mance has said.
Agreement between St. Clair County and Southwestern Illinois College by Lexi Cortes on Scribd
