New Police Trainees Welcomed In Monday (Community Voices)

Stephen Allen Wed, 21 Apr at 7:14am
Used via Flickr under Creative Commons, www.flickr.com/photos/leita/4115858868/

Used via Flickr under Creative Commons, www.flickr.com/photos/leita/4115858868/

The Oakland Police Department welcomed 22 new trainees Monday.

This is another step being taken to reach the goal of 803 officers. The trainees will attend the department’s police academy, which will begin with orientations and will run until November.

Six of the trainees are female, eight are from the “Grow Your Own” Cadet program, seven are Oakland residents and nine are bilingual.

The Oakland Police Department also began hosting a lateral police academy on April 5. Five officers are attending the six-week academy. Two are from the Los Angeles Police Department, while others are from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Oakland’s Police Ranger program and the Fairfield Police Department.

According to a news release about the new academy, the Oakland’s Police Department has partnered with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, despite budget restraints, to provide the new trainees with the basic training they will need to help the city.

About Stephen Allen
Stephen Allen is an East Oakland resident and an OL student intern who loves to write and hopes to become a professional journalist one day. He's performed with Youth Speaks and writes poetry as well as blogs and news articles. Currently attending Laney College and majoring in Journalism, Stephen has decided to stay in Oakland after finishing his A.A. degree in the Spring. He's also the mastermind behind Oakculture.com which is a website dedicated to showcasing the unique cultures that make Oakland the city it is.