SAVANNAH — Nineteen students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy celebrated graduating from the program with a completion ceremony last month.

The four women and 15 men completed coursework containing the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. Their completion of the program qualifies them to be state-certified peace officers.

This is the 18th group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated 253 POST-certified officers. Many candidates are in various stages of the application process with statewide agencies. Savannah Tech’s Peace Officer Academy says it has a 97 percent placement rate.

Each class selects a fallen officer for whom the graduating class will be named. The cohorts have a tradition of giving the family of the fallen officer a challenge coin dedicated to the officer.

This cohort selected to honor Cpl. Richard Allen Hall Jr., of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, who lost his life in the line of duty in September after a motor vehicle accident on his way home to Ellabell. He is survived by his father and stepmother, John and Clisty Hall, one brother Steven (Christy) and sister Jennifer (Michael) and family.

Hall was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a 14-year member of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

The basic law enforcement technical certificate of credit attests that students have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 18-week program uses classroom instruction pertaining to criminal justice theory and the prevailing principles of modern law enforcement, as well as practical application of pertinent enforcement skills.

For more information about the school’s Peace Officer Academy go to www.savannahtech.edu/PeaceOfficerAcademy or contact Sheree Rogers at 912.443.5191 or srogers@savannahtech.edu.