PIERRE —South Dakota’s Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to re-establish a reciprocity articulation agreement with Western Dakota Technical College of Rapid City.

The articulation agreement allows eligible students who successfully complete WDTC’s Law Enforcement Technology program to gain certification as a South Dakota law enforcement officer without needing to attend the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s 520-hour basic law enforcement certification course.

In January, the commission voted to terminate the previously in-force articulation agreement with WDTC after sustained allegations of non-compliance. Since that decision, WDTC has made substantial updates and improvements to its law enforcement education program, including not just the commission’s previously identified deficiencies but all program areas.

WDTC President Ann Bolman, along with her staff, presented these changes to the commission at Wednesday’s meeting and requested the commission re-establish the agreement considering these updates. Bolman detailed these extensive efforts, which included fixes to program administration, new program leadership, and revamped curriculum. At the college’s request, the DCI’s Office of Law Enforcement Training collaborated with WDTC to advance these efforts. WDTC also engaged with Black Hills-area criminal justice professionals to ensure community needs were met.