- February 24, 2025
The course is presented by the University of Louisville
Police Chief Henry Osterkamp announced recently that Capt. James Crimins graduated from the Southern Police Institute Command Officer Development Course, which was offered by the University of Louisville in Sanford. While taking the five-month course, Crimins was able to travel home for a week every two weeks.
At a recent City Commission meeting, Commissioner Bill Partington congratulated Crimins and said the city should consider having a graduation ceremony before a meeting.
“I have always pushed for officers to get further education,” he said. “It benefits our city to have the most well-educated people possible to represent our city.”
In an interview later, City Manager Joyce Shanahan said the development course that Crimins took is very prestigious.
“You have to be certain rank to take it,” she said. “It’s a rigorous course.”
Now operations captain, Crimins was previously support services lieutenant. A 23-year veteran of the department, he has served as a patrol officer, motorcycle officer, patrol corporal, outreach supervisor, traffic unit supervisor, patrol sergeant, administrative sergeant and acting support services lieutenant. He has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the College of the Holy Cross and an associate of arts degree in general studies from Daytona Beach Community College. He was award the Ormond Beach Officer of the Year in 1996 and 1997 and was Volusia County Motorcycle Officer of the Year in 1997.
Shanahan said many police and fire department staffers return to get an undergraduate degree. To get hired, a degree from an academy is required. Shanahan said the city pays for undergraduate courses for employees at a level comparable to Daytona State College tuition. Graduate courses are paid 50 percent.
Capt. Jesse Godfrey and Chief Osterkamp are both graduates of the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia.
