COVID cases cause Indiana Law Enforcement Academy to suspend classes
PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A state training board has suspended the current class of police recruits at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Timothy M. Horty, the academy’s executive director, said in email responses to News 8 that, so far, 10 students have tested positive and another nine students are being retested after initials results came back inconclusive.
A total of 50 more students have been told to isolate because they are symptomatic, or are considered close contacts of a positive case.
The class has 117 students. Horty said by email that the recruits are not required to be vaccinated, and a “good majority of them were not.”
- COVID-19 vaccinations in Indiana: Get details and sign up
- Schedule a COVID-19 test in Indiana
- Indiana coronavirus resources and timeline of events
- More coronavirus coverage from WISH-TV
On the academy’s website, Horty wrote, “Because some students started showing symptoms late last week, approximately 20 students were sent home over the weekend to quarantine. On Monday, July 26, 2021, the remainder of the class was tested for COVID and several more tested positive.
“This decision to suspend training was not made lightly, but the safety and security of our students and staff is paramount to our mission here at ILEA. We will remain in close communication with ISDH (Indiana State Department of Health) to devise a plan for reopening.”