Police Academy Welcomes Largest Cadet Class In Over A Decade, Invests In Equipment & Supplies
Posted November 12, 2025 at 12:48 pmThe Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Police Academy Cadet Class No. 92 officially began its training in September, with the group setting a new benchmark for the program and its future success.
Class No. 92 consists of 18 cadets, the highest starting attendance in Penn Highlands Police Academy history and the highest number of cadets in the Academy in over 10 years, dating back to when the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center maintained it.
The Police Academy saw key metrics, including inquiries, applications, physical fitness tests, and successful candidates, all roughly double compared to previous years.
“This was in part due to huge recruiting efforts by Assistant Directors Cory Fairman and Kevin Gaudlip,” stated Cregg Dibert, Director of Police Academy & Campus Security. “We’re actively responding to inquiries as they come in. We’ve also been proactive, attending high school events and job fairs. We’re always open to giving a presentation to any interested parties.”
Additionally, to attract prospective cadets, the Police Academy has upgraded its training equipment and supplies, investing over $100,000 through a Perkins Grant. As a result of these investments, cadets are now only responsible for tuition and uniform expenses, making this a more affordable career path.
The length of Academy instruction was also shortened from 11.5 months to 9.5 months by making the training schedule five days per week instead of four.
“It feels great to walk into the classroom and see it nearly filled,” Dibert stated. “We hope to continue this trend and help fill the job vacancies within ours and the surrounding areas. This would foster safer communities for the public and alleviate the burden on officers within the department.”
According to statistics, there are more than 1,500 job vacancies at municipal police departments across the state of Pennsylvania, with up to another 1,600 more officers having the possibility of retirement in 2025.
In the three years since Penn Highlands took control of the Police Academy, more than 90% of the cadets have earned employment upon graduation.