COM, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Launch First-of-Its-Kind Law Enforcement Academy Partnership

College of the Mainland (COM) and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) are launching a first-of-its-kind partnership in Texas to address a critical shortage of law enforcement training capacity in the region. Beginning in January 2027, the new Galveston County Law Enforcement Academy hosted at COM will combine the strengths of both organizations to expand access to peace officer training and strengthen the pipeline preparing qualified officers to serve Galveston County and surrounding communities. 

“When our communities face a workforce challenge like this, our responsibility is to find innovative ways to respond,” said COM President Helen Brewer. “This partnership expands opportunity for students, strengthens our public safety workforce and creates a sustainable new pathway for preparing the next generation of law enforcement professionals.”

The partnership creates a new model for bringing higher education and law enforcement together to address a shared workforce challenge—one with the potential to be replicated in other communities across Texas. Access to basic peace officer training across the region has grown increasingly limited even as local agencies continue to need qualified officers to serve growing communities. The new academy responds directly to that need by expanding regional training capacity and creating a strong local pathway into law enforcement careers.

“This partnership will meet the region’s growing need for an academy that can produce trained law enforcement officers in Galveston County and surrounding communities,” said Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen. “The academy represents our commitment to good stewardship of the investment our communities make in both the Sheriff’s Office and College of the Mainland by preparing highly skilled officers who will graduate ready to protect and serve our region.”

The academy is licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and will operate under the authority of the GCSO, combining GCSO’s law enforcement expertise with COM’s academic resources and advanced training facilities in the new Public Safety Careers Building.

The academy will offer a one-semester, 21-credit-hour program that combines criminal justice coursework with the hands-on training required to prepare cadets to become licensed Texas peace officers. Cadets will receive instruction from law enforcement and public safety professionals from agencies throughout the region, providing access to expertise across a range of public safety disciplines.

Prospective cadets will first complete the Galveston County Law Enforcement Academy application process, then candidates selected by GCSO will apply to COM and subsequently register for academy courses. Students who successfully complete the program will earn a Level I Certificate and can continue working toward an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice, followed by a Bachelor of Applied Science in Operations Management.

For more details about the new academy, visit www.com.edu/law-enforcement.