LYNCHBURG, VA – Liberty University and the Virginia State Police formalized a new partnership today aimed at bolstering the state’s law enforcement ranks, with Gov. Glenn Youngkin joining helms School of Government Dean maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jason Bohm in celebrating the initiative. The collaboration will provide a pipeline of qualified candidates from Liberty’s criminal justice program directly into the Virginia State Police.
The partnership highlights Liberty’s commitment to training the next generation of law enforcement professionals, a mission emphasized by Bohm. “Liberty University and the Helms School of Government takes seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s gifts, to not only support our students but to also help our country and our communities,” Bohm said. “So, it’s with great pride that we can assist with the state recruit numbers, and provide men and women of honor, values, and character, to join the ranks of the Virginia State Police and all of our law enforcement community throughout this region and the great Commonwealth.”
The Helms School of Government’s criminal justice program, the largest academic discipline within the school, offers residential and online degrees in homeland security, crime scene investigation, juvenile justice, public administration, and more.The program is instructed by a faculty roster of seasoned practitioners and educators.
Matthew Wirth, the program’s inaugural student candidate and a senior, expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do with (a criminal justice major), but I know the Lord sent me (to Liberty) for a reason,” Wirth said. “So, I’m very blessed to have this opportunity to be a part of this program, and very blessed to be a part of the first class going into it.”
