(Image: Seattle.gov)

Students registering for fall quarter at Seattle Central Community College will have another class to consider adding to their cart. In partnership with the Seattle Police Department, SCCC will offer a free course intended to teach prospective police recruits the goals and tactics of law enforcement as well as prepare them for the academy exams.

Acting Sergeant Adrian Diaz will instruct CPP101: Introduction to Community Policing, which will be offered tuition-free to 25 students, Mayor Mike McGinn, SPD Assistant Chief Nick Metz, and officials from SCCC announced in a press conference last week.

The program is part of an SPD drive to increase community outreach and involvement in the personnel recruitment process, McGinn said.

“We needed to look outside the box for what we were doing as far as recruitment,” Metz said.

McGinn said the course is intended to increase diversity in SPD’s ranks, addressing misconceptions about the expectations and requirements of police service in minority and low-income communities.

Though state law prohibits SCCC from reserving enrollment spots for minorities and women, Metz said SPD has been working with groups like El Centro De La Raza to recruit candidates that reflect the diversity of SCCC and the city at large.