On the eleventh day of Giving Tuesday my Piedmont shared with me ELEVEN law enforcement partnerships, agreements, and relationships. Actually, the number is higher than eleven, but we needed something for day eleven. 🙂
It started when Piedmont President Charles Petitt and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough met earlier this year and discussed the potential development of a world-class criminal justice program that would pull the University and the Sheriff’s Office together for a unique competency-based approach featuring the highest levels of classroom teaching combined with real, hands on law enforcement experience. Another key element is the faith-based approach that is at the very core of who Piedmont is. Our goal is to ensure a criminal justice training approach that includes integrity, compassion, awareness, etc. and works to build mutual respect between law enforcement and a diversity of communities.
Sheriff Kimbrough and a number of other sheriffs spoke at the press conference this past summer announcing the launch of this partnership and the Criminal Justice program. The second press conference was at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in Chattanooga, TN, and Sheriff Hammonds, President Petitt, and CU Executive Vice President all signed the partnership agreement. Over a dozen of their law enforcement folks have applied to CU in the few weeks since the press conference. We have now had partnership conversations with a growing number of sheriffs, police chiefs, etc. and expect to have signed agreements with many more in the near future.
Your gift today or on “GivingTuesday” will provide the funding needed to develop these relationships between various law enforcement agencies and Carolina University for the success of our graduates and the betterment of society.
