Region Two adds law enforcement course

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
NEW COURSE — Mike Howard, left, the director of the Region Two School of Applied Technology, discusses classroom material for the school’s new law enforcement program with instructor Dave Socoby.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — High school students who are interested in learning more about careers in law enforcement will have an opportunity to do so starting Jan. 23 at the Region Two School of Applied Technology.
    The course will be open to mostly juniors and seniors and is designed as a two-year course, with students receiving about 700 hours of training. Fort Kent and Caribou also offer law enforcement programs.
    According to Mike Howard, director of Region Two, the idea for creating such a class stems from a survey given to current sophomores and juniors at the school.
    “We list all the courses that we offer and have them check off which ones they are interested in,” Howard said. “We also list five or six courses that we don’t currently offer, but might consider if the interest is there. Law enforcement was one of those courses that interested a lot of students and by far was the most popular.”
    Dave Socoby, a retired Maine State Police officer, will teach the new program. Socoby spent 23 years with the MSP, including 10 years on the road as a trooper in both the Greenville and Houlton areas. With Troop F in Houlton, he was a K-9 handler, promoted to the drug unit for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. He was later promoted to detective, a position he held for seven years before retiring.
    “At the time, I was ready to retire,” he said. “When this opportunity came up to teach something that is the only thing I have ever really known, it felt like a perfect fit.”
    Socoby said he is looking forward to helping teens decide on career paths.
    “A lot of kids have asked me how I got into the (police) line of work,” Socoby said. “This course will help those looking to pursue careers in law enforcement. There were some guys on the force who knew this was what they wanted to do from the time they were 14 or 15 years old.”
    Any student who completes the course would be viewed as a more compelling candidate for the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Socoby said. It could also prove beneficial for students who plan to enter into the military or National Guard.
    The students may also receive college credits for the class. According to Howard, Region Two is in negotiations with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Fort Kent that would give the students college credits in the Criminal Justice programs at the two universities.
    “There are a lot of kids who have been coming to classes at Region Two and when they leave here, they go into a criminal justice program,” Socoby said. “This program will also help give students an idea of what types of things they need to stay away from outside of school.”
    The program will also provide students with the opportunities to prepare for employment in occupations related to the law enforcement field. Among the topics to be covered in the course are: defensive tactics, criminal investigations, domestic violence, use of force, low-risk and high-risk vehicle stops, crash investigations, operating under the influence investigations, handcuffing, report writing, land navigation course, CPR certification, handgun safety and physical fitness training.
    “Competition for law enforcement positions can be really steep,” Socoby said. “The student with the better resume and background has the better chance. I think this course will open some eyes. This line of work is not for everybody.”
    Socoby said police work can be both very rewarding and very stressful at the same time and can place a strain on one’s personal relationships.
    “You can go from zero to 100 and back down to zero in terms of adrenalin rushes,” he said. “Then you have to go home and try not to bring any of the baggage home with you. It’s not always going to be roses and I hope to bring that point to the students.”
    As luck would have it, Region Two recently lost one program — business — so there was an immediate classroom space open for the new law enforcement program.
    “The only unfortunate thing is we are starting this course mid-year,” Howard said. “I think come fall, this course will be quite popular.”