A former Sangamon County Sheriff is working to help students who aspire for a career in law enforcement.
Lincoln Land Community College announced today, former sheriff Neil Williamson has established a scholarship for students studying criminal justice at LLCC.
Williamson who served as Sheriff for over 20 years in Sangamon County, said in the announcement today he does not think he would have gone to college if he had not had gone to LLCC because he didn’t feel fully prepared and wasn’t sure he would fit in going away to a large school.
He says attending the smaller community college gave him the confidence to go on and earn a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement, and now he wants to help give students in Central Illinois the same opportunity.
The new scholarship will award $1,000.00 to a criminal justice student each academic year.
Williamson served on the LLCC Foundation Board from 2015 to 2018, and while serving as Sangamon County Sheriff, increased increased the minimum education requirements for deputies in the department as well as serving as coordinator of Crime Stoppers in Sangamon County for several years.