The Las Cruces Police Department will graduate eight cadets Friday from its 50th law enforcement training academy.
The graduation ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 18, in the Auditorium at Onate High School. Because of ongoing public health concerns, attendance for the graduation ceremony is limited to the cadets, their families, Las Cruces police officials and invited guests.
The police cadets expected to graduate are Antonio Chavez III, Alexis Gomez, Richard Rivera, Kebar Rodriguez, Guadalupe Salinas, Selena Tarin, Nathaniel Telles and Brandon Villarreal.
All eight graduates will have completed rigorous training exercises and passed comprehensive state exams that made them eligible for their New Mexico peace officer certification. The education LCPD cadets receive exceeds requirements established by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
LCPD’s state-certified Academy provides more than 1,000 hours of law enforcement education and training. The bulk of the academy, roughly 75 percent of it, is classroom instruction while the remaining 25 percent consists of field training in and around Las Cruces. Upon completion of the academy, each graduate will be assigned to an experienced field training officer who guides them on an additional 16 weeks of instruction before becoming a patrol officer.
The Las Cruces Police Department is accepting applications for its 51st Training Academy that is set to begin in January 2022. Applications must be submitted no later than July 30, 2021. Early submission of applications is encouraged. Prospective applicants can speak with an LCPD recruiter by texting JOINLCPD to 575-376-6817.