Local college has new criminal justice director

St. Johns River Community College reported to Historic City News that Gary Killam has assumed his new role as director of criminal justice training at the St. Augustine campus of the college.

Killam was most recently employed at the Duval County School Police Department where he served as the deputy chief. He also has 29 years of combined service with the Davie and Plantation police departments and has taught in the criminal justice masters program at Nova Southeastern University for five years.

A graduate of the police science program at Broward Community College, Killam also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Phoenix and has studied at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Killam’s diverse operational and administrative experience includes 17 years at the command and management levels. He is experienced in the complete process of planning and development of law enforcement programs including budgeting, grant preparation and management, policy development, professional standards and accreditation, fleet management, emergency operations and crisis response, investigation, mobile data applications, K-9 units and community partnerships.

Having served as president of the Florida Gang Investigators Association, Killam is also a member of the FBI National Academy Associates Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Northeast Florida Law Enforcement Executive Association and the National Association for School Safety and Law Enforcement.

The criminal justice program is offered at the Col. George Higgins and Dr. Robert Soloman Criminal Justice Center on the St. Augustine campus and awards vocational certificates in the criminal justice basic recruit and corrections basic recruit programs.

Cadets receive job-related training for entry-level employment in their career field and are eligible to take the state certification exam upon completion of the program.

The certification may also be applied toward SJRCC’s associate in science degree in criminal justice technology.

Photo credit: St. Johns River Community College staff photo