Staff Report

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield temporarily halted operations because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Problems began to arise last week, according to a statement released by ILEA, which trains the majority of police across the state.

Initially, about 20 students were sent home over the weekend to quarantine. On Monday, July 26, the remainder of the class was tested for COVID and several more tested positive, the ILEA statement said.

As of Wednesday morning, 10 students had tested positive, and nine additional students are being retested after initial results were inconclusive. Additionally, 50 students must isolate because they are symptomatic or quarantine because they are considered close contacts of a positive case.

The majority of the 117 students are unvaccinated, the academy statement said.

More than 50 students out of 117 are in quarantine due to either contracting the virus, being symptomatic or coming in direct contact with someone who has the virus, the academy statement said.

The Indiana Department of Health will again provide specific protocols, such as cohorting students and masking requirements, for all ILEA operations. A restart date has not been set.