By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award recipient James Smith put his full effort into doing well at the Wayne County Regional Police Training Academy (WCRPTA), leading fellow cadets the most effective way possible.

“He’s a quiet leader. He leads by example,” said WCRPTA Director Anthony Mencotti. “He works extremely hard and has a very good attitude. He gets along extremely well with his classmates. He was selected for his overall work ethic and is very modest.”

POLC Executive Committee member Steve McInchak congratulates WCRPTA cadet James Smith on receiving the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award.

Smith, 22, was chosen for the honor from among nine pre-service cadets in a May 18, 2023 graduating class of 53 cadets, including 44 who were agency-sponsored. 

“I’m very thankful. I was super surprised,” Smith said. “It was pretty shocking and a really great honor that I was the one that got it.”

The $500 Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award, which is sponsored by the Police Officers Labor Council (POLC), is given twice yearly at the discretion of the college police academy to graduates who have not been sponsored by any police agency. To qualify, cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards to become certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

In a letter of appreciation to the POLC, Smith wrote: “Thank you so much for the recognition and the award of the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship. I take pride in my academics and am thankful for your recognition of such. I had no idea scholarships like this existed, but I am honored to have received this and was a little overwhelmed when I was called up on the stage at graduation. Thank you so much for the work and support you give to the academy recruits and to law enforcement overall.” 

He’s following in his father’s footsteps, James Smith (senior), a Wayne County Sheriff’s Lieutenant. The younger Smith earned a 3.9 GPA in the academy. “He was a Lieutenant that was in charge of a platoon for weeks four through eight,” Mencotti said. “He’s also the Kehrl Academic Excellence Award ($300) recipient for pre-service recruits.”

Smith obtained a Criminal Justice associate’s degree from Schoolcraft Community College and was sworn in as a Redford Police Officer on May 30.

“I’m planning to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice right after FTO,” he said. “I’m pursuing that because it’s related to my job, but also I want to make going federal an option. If I like police work, I’ll stay there.”

Mencotti noted Smith also plans to go into the military. “I have a lot I want to achieve,” Smith said. “I do want to try and pursue the military. That will probably occur after my bachelor’s degree. I’d like to get security clearance and then go into the DEA. The Weiler Award is definitely going to help financial-wise and to use on my resume. Receiving that great award (helps me) moving forward with what I want to do, especially going federal.”