Father and Son Share Milestone at Law Enforcement Academy

Over the past decade, Tim Hufschmid has guided hundreds of recruits as director of the Law Enforcement Recruit Academy. Earlier this month, he led his final full academy, closing out 32 classes and 840 graduates.

What made this class especially meaningful was not just the milestone, but who was among the recruits. Tim’s son, Aidan, was part of that graduating class and is now stepping into the same profession his dad spent his career shaping.

Below, Tim and Aidan share how they got here and where they’re headed next.

Q: Tim, was it a coincidence that your last academy as director is the same academy where Aidan is a recruit?
Yes, it was. And I thought, wouldn’t it be ironic if Aidan was in one of my academies? I have them planned out through 2029, and I knew this spring was going to be the last full academy that I’m teaching.

Q: Aidan, how did you become interested in law enforcement?
My dad was in law enforcement, and my mom was a police officer for a time and now works as a records clerk with the Kaukauna Police Department. I wanted to be a police officer for as long as I can remember. My dad still has an art project I made in second grade saying that in 15 or 20 years, I was going to be a police officer.

Q: Aidan, tell us about your college experience and how it led you to the academy.
After three semesters in the Marketing program at Fox Valley Technical College, I realized it wasn’t something I was passionate about. I even considered dropping out, but my parents told me I needed a plan. That’s when I went back to my childhood dream of law enforcement. I started taking criminal justice classes and worked as a community service officer in Kaukauna, and that really confirmed it for me.

I completed the required college credits at FVTC to qualify for the academy. I applied and was hired by the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office. After graduation, I will go through about three months of field training before being on my own. I plan to complete my degree in Criminal Justice then as well.

Q: Tim, walk us through your career in law enforcement and FVTC.
I attended Fox Valley Technical College part-time and graduated in 1993 with an associate degree in Police Science. I was hired by Fox Valley Metro in 1994 and worked as a patrol officer, school resource officer and then the last part of my career, I was an administrative lieutenant involved in hiring, training and scheduling. I also completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Silver Lake College.

I started as an adjunct instructor at FVTC in 1998 and was hired full time in 2011. I took over the Law Enforcement Recruit Academy in 2016.

Q: Tim, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the academy over the years?
The biggest change is the sponsored versus non-sponsored recruit. When I took over the academy, I would say out of a class of 20 recruits, you might have had three or four that were sponsored by an agency. Everybody else was self-sponsored. That totally flipped around. In this last academy class, we started with two non-sponsored recruits. That’s the biggest change.

Also, when I took over the academy, the program was 520 hours. Then it increased to 720 hours. And what they increased was more integration exercises where you learn in the classroom, but at the end of the phase, we go out and practice. That’s why our Public Safety Training Center is perfect. We have River City and we can practice in the village. They included more integration exercises, more teaching scenarios, more hands-on scenario-based training which I think is so important.

Q: Tim, what does retirement look like for you?
This spring, I was appointed municipal court judge in Kaukauna, which is a part-time job. I will continue to serve on several boards for training standards and the legal advisory board. I’d still like to teach constitutional law, and I really enjoy teaching standardized fields too. So, I’d like to teach somewhere in the future.

Q: Tim, What will you miss most about FVTC?
The biggest thing I’m going to miss is the relationships I’ve developed over the years. There are still students from years ago who reach out to me and ask legal questions or stop by to talk. It’s the relationships that I’ve built.

Q: Tim, how would you describe this final academy class?
I’m not saying this because my son is in the class, but it’s been a very good academy class, and several instructors have told me that as well. Every academy class takes on their own personality, and this one is very mature. Really, they want to learn.

Q: Tim, how does it feel to see your son enter the profession?
I’m extremely proud.

Q: Aidan, what do you think of your dad retiring?
I’m glad he’s retiring. He’ll be around for advice, and he’ll have more time. It might drive my mom a little crazy, but it’s good for him.

Law Enforcement Recruit Academy Graduating Class Spring of 2026

25 Recruits
23 sponsored recruits
Two graduating with offers of employment

Agencies represented: