On Sunday, 13 cadets graduated from Pueblo Community College’s Southwest Regional Law Enforcement Academy, and three of the cadets will be staying in Montezuma County. One was sworn in to the Cortez Police Department following graduation, and two committed to the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.
The rest will go to agencies in La Plata County, Archuleta County and the Durango Police Department.
At the graduation at River Bend Ranch in Durango, there was standing room only as the cadets’ ceremony took place.
“It was a beautiful day. We were fortunate for that,” Douglas Parker, the academy’s director said.
The ceremony started with a color guard and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by giving out awards to cadets for various accomplishments.
The top shooter was Roy Vega, who is going to be working with the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office and the top driver was Destany Lott, who was also with Archuleta.
The most improved in the fitness program was Jennings and Faith Mackenzie, who will be working at the Durango Police Department.
The instructor who was recognized for his work with the academy was Brett Deming, who is the chief of police at the Fort Lewis College Police Department and one of the academy’s instructors.
“He teaches firearms, he teaches ethics, legal liability, he’s a great professional,” Parker said. “He’s very dedicated to teaching the new cadets and keeping them, at the cutting edge. He’s a great guy. He really exemplifies the kind of professional behavior we want our cadets to model.”
The commencement speaker was Chief Mike Barrow from the Southern Ute Police Department.
In his speech, Barrow focused on the next steps for cadets, and how they can put into practice what they’ve learned in the academy.
He also emphasized how students should have the right mindset and be prepared to make mistakes and learn and grow from those mistakes, rather than dwelling on them and allowing it to impact their confidence.
He also spoke about treating the people they encounter with dignity and respect.
The graduates were also pinned with their new badges.
“We try to include families as much as possible,” Parker said. “They’re a big part of this.”
Fathers and sons pinned the cadets, as well as a grandfather and the 5-year-old granddaughter of the of the cadets.
Cadets took the state certification exam on Thursday. They’ll receive a certificate when they pass, and they will then start at the agency they have committed to working for.
Jennings was sworn in to the Cortez Police Departmenti on Thursday afternoon, and Colby Morton and Joseph Summers will work for the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.
The academy takes 20 weeks, and class sizes are typically 14 to 16 students. The spring semester will begin in January.
The program includes “extensive curriculum” that includes skills such as firearms, arrest control and driving. They also emphasize communication skills and crisis intervention training.
“This is designed for cadets to learn how to communicate with citizens who are experiencing a crisis, be it drug and alcohol induced or by mental illness,” Parker said. “We make extensive use of live scenarios as teaching tools, along with our state-of-the art Virtual Reality training system.”
Those who wish to apply to the program can do so online at www.pueblocc.formstack.com/forms/slea_01.
