The Southwest Regional Campus in Vancouver is more than a training site for future law enforcement and corrections professionals. It has become a hub for collaboration, mentorship and community-centered training in Southwest Washington — and now, it carries national recognition for excellence.
In March 2025, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Southwest Regional Campus earned accreditation from the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), helping WSCJTC achieve one of the highest accreditation scores in the country. The distinction recognizes the campus’s commitment to modern, evidence-based, and community-focused training standards.
Located inside a repurposed elementary school in Vancouver, the campus serves recruits from agencies throughout Southwest Washington. The facility features converted classrooms for scenario-based training, defensive tactics spaces and collaborative learning environments designed to mirror real-world situations officers may encounter in the field.
“This place is unique because of the facility, but really our staff is what has made us most successful here,” said Assistant Commander Bill Sofianos. “Each staff member cares about what they’re doing and cares about passing on the knowledge and experience they’ve gained throughout their careers.”
The campus has built a reputation for immersive, hands-on training that emphasizes communication, emotional intelligence and professionalism alongside tactical readiness. During a recent defensive tactics session, recruits moved between mock apartment and tavern scenarios, learning to adapt their responses to rapidly changing circumstances and levels of resistance.
Sofianos said the regional academy model also strengthens relationships between agencies and recruits because officers train close to the communities they will eventually serve.
“The regional academies allow local agencies to be more invested in their recruits,” Sofianos said. “All the agencies share the same common goal, and that collaboration makes everybody better.”
That sense of investment and ownership extends throughout the campus. TAC Officer Carole Boswell said instructors personally helped transform the former school building into a functioning academy.
“We’ve put a lot of sweat equity into this building and really made it ours,” Boswell said. “We’ve put a lot of love into it from the very beginning.”
Boswell, who brings more than three decades of law enforcement experience to the academy, said one of the most meaningful parts of the job is watching recruits develop into professionals and eventually return as instructors themselves.
“It’s very rewarding to see them come back successful,” Boswell said. “I love teaching, and I love interacting with the students.”
She also pointed to the evolution of law enforcement training itself, noting a greater emphasis on communication, respect and emotional intelligence.
“There’s a lot more focus on emotional intelligence and good communication with people,” Boswell said. “I think law enforcement as a profession is growing up.”
For TAC Officer Seth Libbey, the Southwest Regional Campus stands out because recruits train alongside instructors from the same communities and agencies where they will eventually work.
“The folks that come through here are going to be police officers in this community,” Libbey said. “That’s kind of special.”
Libbey said local representation helps recruits better connect classroom learning to real-world policing.
“When the agencies are teaching the people who are coming back to them, it makes a huge difference,” he said. “It takes away the separation between CJTC and the agencies because we’re all represented here.”
The instructors say the campus culture has become one of its defining strengths. Recruits often return after graduation to continue training, assist instructors and mentor future classes. Several graduates have already returned as instructors themselves — a sign, staff say, that the campus is building a lasting professional community.
That culture, combined with nationally accredited standards and strong local partnerships, has helped the Southwest Regional Campus become a model for regional training in Washington state.
As WSCJTC continues expanding training opportunities statewide, the Vancouver campus reflects the agency’s broader mission: preparing public safety professionals to serve with accountability, integrity and professionalism in the communities they know best.