The Las Cruces Police Department will graduate eight cadets Friday, June 18 from its 50th law enforcement training academy.
The graduation ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Oñate High School auditorium. Because of ongoing public health concerns, attendance at the graduation ceremony will be 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.
The eight graduates have completed rigorous training exercises and passed comprehensive state exams that makes them eligible for 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 vast majority of the academy training, roughly 75 percent of it, is classroom instruction. 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 will guide them for an additional 16 weeks of instruction before becoming patrol officers.
The Las Cruces Police Department is accepting applications for its 51st training academy that begins 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.