INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WCHS) — It truly is the dawn of a new era at the West Virginia State Police Training Academy.

In the wake of terminations, resignations and retirements, the agency continues efforts to rehabilitate its image following high-profile allegations lodged by a whistleblower.

Although there were a number of serious issues highlighted, perhaps the most troubling was the revelation that a hidden camera had once been placed inside a women's locker room at the Institute facility.

When leadership was alerted to the device, video recording evidence was destroyed and the incident was covered up. When finally revealed, it was a major reason former WVSP Superintendent Jan Cahill resigned under pressure.

Now, the agency's new leadership is confronting academy concerns head-on and making several big changes to how the state's next wave of law enforcement officers are trained.

"What we're doing now is through the recent event like the camera that was in the locker room, it was so unfortunate. It was tragic that that would ever take place. The actions of one that has affected an entire agency," West Virginia State Police Chief of Staff Services Maj. Jim Mitchell said. "We haven't existed for over 100 years because we haven't had problems. We've existed for over 100 years because we know how to deal with those problems, and that's where we're at now is we're trying to deal with those to keep anything like that from every happening again."

Mitchell said changing the perception of the academy is a goal but the most important reason for programming and structural improvements is to protect the trainees while giving them the tools they'll need to properly enforce the law.

"This is foundational to anybody's law enforcement career," he said. "So, when they come in here we want a professional staff, an articulate staff. A staff that not only tells them how you perform on the street, but they model to them how they perform on the street. So they learn through the process that there is a closeness among police officers. There is, it is a family. But we have to do what's right for the sake of each other."

With State Police moving forward, the full impact of the investigation into several incidents may not be known for a while. There are four ongoing federal probes focusing on a detainee's death, sexual assault allegations, how the agency's brass treated the whistleblower and the academy's hidden camera and its aftermath.

"It takes time because, people's rights for example," he said. "You have to go through certain steps to make sure that a person's rights are being protected and that you're not just, we don't want to railroad anyone or make up anything. So, we want to make sure that, like in an investigation for example you say, well, move faster. You know, let's see somebody terminated. Well, certainly I can say this that if there's anyone in this agency that thinks about ever doing anything like that has been done and what we're facing now, Then they certainly don't value their employment with this agency."

Even as questions continue to be asked the men and women of the State Police are still putting on their uniforms each day, and as we were tragically reminded once again in June, they're also putting their lives on the line.

While acknowledging the agency's difficulties, Mitchell is quick to the point out the difficult and important work still being done.

"We're not here to hurt troopers or to unjustifiably take a job from a trooper, but we are here to ensure that the professionalism of this agency and the standards of this agency and the expectations of the citizens that they have on this agency are maintained," Mitchell said. "If a person can't do that they probably should be working elsewhere."