Toledo Officer Cole Savage has his badge pinned on by his girlfriend Megan Mann during the ILEA graduation ceremony on Sept. 16. at Camp Dodge in Johnson. -- Photo provided

This summer four law enforcement officers now employed within various departments in Tama County completed likely one of the most unusual police academy experiences in record.

Toledo Officer Cole Savage, Tama County Sheriff Deputy Johnathan Evans and Meskwaki Nation Police Department Officers Jon Keen and Nick Cullinan each attended the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) this summer while the COVID-19 pandemic was in full effect.

Most of them experienced several weeks in a holding pattern from when they were first hired by their departments to when they were able to begin the academy so they could progress from observing to doing the work they were hired to do.

“I needed to learn and do different things, but because of COVID there was stuff that we couldn’t do,” Savage said. “We had to make up our own training basically. It wasn’t what I wanted but it all worked out in the end.”

In a normal year the ILEA offers a rolling schedule of Basic Training Classes where new officers are housed and trained at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa for a three and a half month period.

Toledo Officer Cole Savage receiving his graduation certificate from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy on Sept. 16. -- Photo Provided

While the pandemic took hold in March, the ILEA classes that were in the middle of their training moved online and were unable to hold an in-person graduation ceremony in April.

For the four Tama County officers, classes that were originally set to begin in May were pushed back until the first week of June while many of the social distancing restrictions were still in place at the state level.

For the first five weeks all of the instruction was done virtually with officers at home and instructors at Camp Dodge doing their best to conduct classes online.

This year marks the first time in ILEA history that Basic academy instruction has occurred online in this manner.

In July, the officers reported in-person to Camp Dodge and completed the remaining coursework in areas like firearms, driving and defensive tactics that would have been impossible to complete with distance learning.

Pictured, from left, Tama County Sheriff Deputy Jonathan Evans and Tama County Sheriff Dennis Kucera. -- Photo provided

While the group was at Camp Dodge for the remaining 11 weeks, they were social distanced as much as possible, required to wear masks outside of their dorms and were unable to leave during the weekdays as was allowed under normal circumstances.

While the group was in-person the academy experienced one positive case of COVID-19. Thankfully the person was able to quarantine, recover and eventually return to class with no officers or instructors testing positive.

On Sept. 16 the ILEA held an outdoor graduation ceremony for the two graduating classes that completed over 600 hours of instruction through the 16 week academy.

Attendance was limited during the ceremonies and graduates were allowed to invite one person to represent their department as well as a small number of immediate family members.

During the ceremony all of the graduates received their badges and a number of special awards were presented for outstanding performance.

Pictured, from left, MNPD Officer Nick Cullinan, MNPD Police Chief Jacob Molitor and MNPD Officer Jon Keen. -- Photo provided

Officer Cullinan was awarded as a member of the 300 Point Club. The distinction measures physical fitness and requires the ability to complete 80 sit-ups, 20 pull-ups and a 1.5 mile run in under nine minutes.

Cullinan was also named to the Director’s List for scoring 90% or above on his academic courses, physical fitness tests and firearms proficiency.

“We learned a lot, bonded with our classmates, trained, were put in high stress situations, performed practicals and still found time to have fun,” Keen said. “The experience is one that I will never forget.”

For some, the return back to home departments following the academy has been a welcome change where more natural on the job training can occur.

Savage has been riding along with other members of the Toledo Police Department in the weeks following his academy graduation and has just begun patrolling in his own vehicle this week.

“I was more nervous the first day out of the academy even riding with someone,” Savage said. “But now that I’ve rode with everyone and have gotten a feel for it, I’m not nervous anymore, I’m just super excited.”

Savage, a South Tama graduate who is also in the middle of a six year commitment to the Iowa National Guard, is happy for the opportunity to serve his home community.

“I liked the thought of serving the people I grew up with and the people that I know,” Savage said. “It’s kind of a different feeling than going somewhere I don’t know. It makes work all that much more enjoyable, knowing the people who I’m helping.”