ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — In what the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office calls a historic step, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission voted to authorize ECSO to conduct its own training academy.

On Feb. 16, Sheriff Chip Simmons and Commander Andy Hobbs gave a presentation to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission during their hearing in Lake Mary, Fla. ECSO said the hearing resulted in an unanimous vote to authorize the ECSO to conduct its own training academy for new recruits and other specialized training.

ECSO becomes only one of six law enforcement agencies to gain commission approval to operate its own law enforcement academy.

Historically, ECSO said local law enforcement agencies have only utilized Pensacola Junior College or George Stone Vocational. They said this will allow them to immerse recruits in its culture, standards, and policies from day one.

“We anticipate a faster and higher level of law enforcement training under this new direction,” ECSO said in a release. “You will soon see Escambia County Sheriff’s Office recruits engaging in state-of-the-art coursework, physical training, firearms training, and other aspects of professional law enforcement activities.”

The first academy is planned for early summer.