First class graduates from Longview Police Academy

LONGVIEW — Close friends and family celebrated 13 cadets Friday, who became the first ever graduates of the Longview Police Academy. The academy provided basic peace officer training for eight cadets of the Longview Police Department and five cadets of the Jacksonville Police Department. To host an academy was a new venture for L.P.D. In April, the department was informed of the postponement of local academy opportunities due to restrictions from the pandemic.

However, since L.P.D. holds accreditation through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, for on-going training of current officers, the department was cleared to conduct the 19-week Basic Peace Officer course utilizing the experience of existing employees. The department has held an academy certificate through TCOLE since the early 1980’s, but the department had never hosted a full academy for new recruits.