It won’t be long before southern Alberta has another thriving criminal justice program.

The ground was broken for the new police college in Fort Macleod on Aug. 22.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with the police college to continue delivering the same high level programming to recruits across the province,” said Tracy Edwards, president of Lethbridge College.

For years Lethbridge has been the sole provider of the police recruit training program for law enforcement in southern Alberta. The program was designed in collaboration with Lethbridge police services and the college.

The decision to build the new college has been up in the air since 2006.

Suggested by ex-premier, Ralph Klein, the goal is to regulate law enforcement training across the province. Current Premier Ed Stelmach approved construction on the new police college in early 2011.

The college will be built on Hwy. 2, south of Fort Macleod.