Merced County public safety programs earn national recognition
Two Merced County high schools have received national recognition for their Public Safety Pathways programs, which prepare students to potential careers in law enforcement.
The programs at El Capitan and Buhach Colony high schools were recognized as National Industry Certified Programs of Excellence by the Law & Public Safety Education Network (LAPSEN).
The programs are two of about 20 public safety programs in California to receive the distinction, according to the Merced Union High School District’s Shawn Jansen.
Public Service Instructors Buck Ledford of El Capitan and Alexandra Dietz of Buhach Colony received plaques and certificates to mark the achievements.
The LAPSEN Certified Programs of Excellence distinction will allow the programs to collaborate with other programs across the country, according to Jansen.
“It also opens up more certification opportunities for our students,” Dietz told Jansen. “I think that’s where Ledford and I were like, ‘OK, that’s exactly what we want.’ Our students can be certified as a 911 dispatcher or as a crime scene instigator, or in general law enforcement.”
