The Austin Community College Cypress Creek campus in Cedar Park has provided criminal justice degrees for 25 years, and it continues to graduate potential police officers into the community.

Criminal justice department Chairman Gerald Hildebrand said students frequently go on to serve with agencies in Central Texas.

“[Former students] work all over this area,” he said. “We have one or more representing all of the police agencies in the area.”

The department’s three programs include associate degrees in corrections and law enforcement and a certification as a Texas Peace Officer. Students who take the certification course must have already completed one of the associate degree programs.

“The Texas Peace Officer course is similar to a police academy,” Hildebrand said. “Large cities like Austin or Dallas have their own police academies, but to work in a smaller department like Hutto or Leander, you have to get the certification on your own at a program like ours.”

Hildebrand said the degrees cover the academic side of law enforcement, and the certification offers more hands-on training, covering topics such as how to safely approach a car during a traffic stop or how to handle weapons.

Hildebrand knows firsthand about what a student must learn to be a successful officer: He worked as a Department of Public Safety officer for 27 years on highway patrol and as a Texas Ranger for 17 years.

“If you take all of our professors and adjuncts together,” he said. “We have an average of about 20 years of experience each. There’s not a weak instructor here.”

Hildebrand has served as an adjunct instructor at ACC since 1989 and has seen the Cypress Creek campus programs grow. He became a full-time instructor and chairman of the criminal justice department in 2004. Hildebrand said when he became chairman, his main goal was to prepare students either to enter the law enforcement field or pursue higher education.

“We have a high rate of placements,” he said. “Most end up going to Texas State University to continue, and the rest usually get a job as a police officer or security officer.”

Hildebrand also helps the Criminal Justice Club on campus. Started by a student, the club had 300 student members at one point, and its average attendance for events is about 100 students, Hildebrand said.

“It’s mostly student-run,” he said. “We decided from that beginning that faculty would simply be a support and a resource.”

With Hildebrand’s help, the club has brought in SWAT teams and vehicles, a Secret Service officer, cadaver dogs and other professionals in the industry.

“We want to keep it fun, interesting and educational,” he said.

With an average of 40-50 graduates every semester, Hildebrand said he is proud of the program but worries recent events such as the July 7 police shooting in Dallas could deter students.

“We have open discussions, challenging students to put themselves into the position of a police chief and figure out how to respond to current events,” he said.

Hildebrand said he hopes to continue to prepare students for real-world work.