The Alabama Community College System and the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission announced a new certification pathway Thursday afternoon at the Alabama State House, opening a route for criminal justice students to earn full law enforcement certification alongside their associate degree.
The memorandum of understanding arrives as Alabama confronts a growing shortage of qualified officers. Under the ACCS Pathway to APOSTC Certification, qualifying students at participating colleges become eligible for appointment as volunteer student reserve police officers and, after completing an APOSTC-approved basic training academy, receive full certification while earning an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
Fifteen of the system’s 24 colleges currently offer an associate in applied science degree or short-certificate option in criminal justice or law enforcement.
“We believe education changes lives, but it also changes communities. Every graduate helps build a stronger Alabama,” ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker said. “Together with APOSTC, we will help develop the next generation of law enforcement professionals with the education, character, and leadership needed to earn that trust. Investing in outstanding law enforcement officers is an investment in Alabama’s future.”
Eligible students must be at least 19 years old and actively enrolled in a criminal justice program at a participating Alabama community college. All APOSTC recruits must pass a physical agility test simulating job-related law enforcement activities and clear a comprehensive pre-appointment background investigation.
“The Commission’s partnership with the ACCS represents an innovative investment in the future of Alabama law enforcement,” said APOSTC Executive Secretary Alan Benefield.
“By establishing a structured pathway to certification, we are creating a pipeline of highly qualified, well-educated law enforcement officers who have already demonstrated a commitment to public service. This path to certification is a forward-thinking approach that strengthens our profession, supports the recruitment and retention of exceptional officers, and helps ensure Alabama communities continue to be served by highly trained law enforcement officials.”
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The traditional route to certification requires a candidate to be hired by an agency, receive a provisional appointment, and complete a basic training academy within six months. Doing so places the full financial burden of training on the hiring department. That structure has long discouraged smaller municipal and county agencies operating on limited budgets.
As a condition of the agreement, participating colleges will waive reimbursements from hiring agencies.
“As someone who has dedicated my career to law enforcement, I understand the recruiting and hiring challenges law enforcement agencies across Alabama face every day,” State Rep. Russell Bedsole (R-Alabaster), a career law enforcement officer with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, said.
“By bringing together the ACCS and APOSTC, this initiative strengthens the pipeline of qualified candidates, reduces the cost of onboarding new officers, and helps agencies fill vacancies more quickly. This is a win for students, a win for law enforcement agencies, and ultimately a win for the citizens of Alabama.”
“As a former police chief, I am proud of this partnership to promote and expedite our law enforcement curriculum. This will clearly increase our ability to recruit young law enforcement professionals,” 34-year law enforcement veteran and State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), added.
This week’s announcement from ACCS is a sustained push by Alabama officials to recruit and protect officers.
The 2025 legislative session delivered the Safe Alabama package, driven by Reynolds’ own Back the Blue Protection Act.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
