When Scranton police Sgt. Eric Lindsay joined the city Police Department nearly 20 years ago after graduating from Lackawanna College Police Academy, he was well trained to do the job.
The only problem was that he wasn’t quite sure how to turn on the lights and sirens of his patrol vehicle or where he would be printing out paperwork.
Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll speaks during a joint press conference with members of the Lackawanna College Police Academy at the Scranton Police Department headquarters in Scranton Thursday, April 2, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll speaks as Lackawanna College Police Academy Cadet Class 266 stand by during a joint press conference at the Scranton Police Department headquarters in Scranton Thursday, April 2, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll speaks as Lackawanna College Police Academy Cadet Class 266 stand by during a joint press conference at the Scranton Police Department headquarters in Scranton Thursday, April 2, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lackawanna College Police Academy Director Kevin Mahoney speaks during a joint press conference with the Scranton Police Department at their headquarters in Scranton Thursday, April 2, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll speaks during a joint press conference with members of the Lackawanna College Police Academy at the Scranton Police Department headquarters in Scranton Thursday, April 2, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Over the course of 20 years, the department has interfaced with Lackawanna College, to familiarize cadets with what might be their future workplace.
On Thursday, that collaboration went a step further with the announcement of a formal training and education partnership between the Scranton Police Department and Lackawanna College. The program will provide hands-on police training for cadets studying at the college, including ride-alongs with current officers, familiarizing them with the equipment they will soon be using.
Under the agreement, police cadets from Lackawanna College’s Scranton and Hazleton campuses get experience with the Scranton department’s state-of-the-art training technology, including the Axon Virtual Reality systems and the MILO 180-degree immersive range theater — a multiscreen training system designed to deliver highly realistic, scenario-based firearms and use-of-force training.
The immersive theater provides law enforcement officers the chance to train in real-time scenarios. For example, if a trainee is inappropriately reacting to someone with a disability, the officer controlling the scenario can adjust the emotional response of the person in the scenario, Police Chief Thomas Carroll said.
As part of the partnership, Lackawanna College will provide four full scholarships annually to members of the Scranton Police Department. In addition, tuition discounts will be extended to all department employees and their dependents.
“This collaboration is truly a win-win for our officers, future officers, and the community we serve,” Carroll said. “We’re not only delivering the most advanced police services available, but we’re also opening doors to higher education that will benefit our officers and their families for years to come.”
“We’re committed to programming that meets the needs of the community,” said Kevin Mahoney, director of Lackawanna College Police Academy. “Our success lies in the success of the community.”
He emphasized the benefits of using advanced technology, realistic training environments and strong academic programming,
“I am incredibly proud of the Scranton Police Department and the work they do every day. This partnership builds on that momentum and reinforces something I believe in deeply: When we invest in our officers and their training, we are investing in safer neighborhoods and a stronger Scranton,” Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said.