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The streets of Salt Lake are safer today now that Salt Lake police have beefed up their department with nearly two dozen qualified, eager rookies.
Twenty-three brand new police officers endured nearly four months of training and schooling to make it to graduation.
"We try to expose them to as much as we can so they have a taste of the challenge they will face," said Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank.
These new recruits will have the task of patrolling the streets of Salt Lake.
"It'll be challenging, for sure," graduate Aaron Johnson said.
To make it this far, the recruits went through training in criminal law and diversity. They were also taught how and when to use pepper spray, Tasers and firearms.
"It's an extensive process to evaluate that we are hiring the best people we possibly can," Burbank said.
This is the second consecutive graduating class where everyone who started endured until the end and graduated.
"If we don't hire a class, that puts us two years behind. That means there's vacancies on Salt Lake City streets almost immediately," Burbank said.
Two years ago there were a lot of vacancies -- 50 total. Today, thanks to this class and these recruits, there are only eight vacancies.
Graduates will now enter the Field Training Officer Program and work with experienced officers for about three months. Then they'll be assigned to a patrol and be certified as a solo patrol officer.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
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