The Laredo-South Texas region is becoming a safer place to live thanks to the 15 cadets who graduated from the Laredo Community College Regional Police Academy on Thursday, June 16, at 6 p.m. the LCC South Billy Hall Student Center. All 15 have passed the state exam to become certified peace officers.
Thursday’s graduation of the R-05 class, coupled with last month’s graduation of another 15-member cadet class, raises the number of certified peace officers in the region to 30.
The R-05 cadet class underwent nine months of basic peace officer training that was conducted on a part-time basis on evenings. Instruction began in November 2004.
“This group of cadets was an exceptional class, which was very dedicated to completing a long, nine-month process to achieve their certification as peace officers,” Ray Garner, police academy director, said. “The communities should be proud to have these ladies and gentlemen on the streets on a mission to protect and serve them.”
In addition to completing the intensive training program at the LCC South campus, the cadets were recognized for accomplishing a 100 percent pass rate on the Texas Certified Law Enforcement Officer State Examination (TCLEOSE). All 15 cadets who took the exam achieved a passing score and are now Texas-certified peace officers.
The graduation class included Ramon Arambula, Gilberto De Leon, Miguel Garcia, Patricia G. Garza, Gerardo D. Martinez, Patrick Mendoza III, Juan R. Molina, Jesus Morales, Rene A. Perez, Carlos Q. Ramirez, Eric E. Rodriguez, Juan Saldana Jr., Juan D. Saldivar, Alonzo Salinas III and Javier Vela.
In order to be admitted to the LCC Police Academy, participating cadets must be sponsored by local and regional law enforcement agencies.
This class included sponsorships by the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office, Webb County 49th District Attorney’s Office, Webb County Sheriff’s Office and Webb County Constable- Precinct 4.
Three special awards were presented during the graduation ceremonies, including the Highest Scholastic Award presented to Gilberto De Leon, the Top Gun Award given to Juan Saldaña Jr., and the Cadet Mentor Award to Eric Rodriguez.
The 664-hour basic peace officer training program at LCC is comprised of rigorous physical training and study focusing on a variety of topics including the penal code, family violence, code of criminal procedures, firearms training, defensive tactics, emergency driving, patrol procedures, criminal investigating, mechanics of arrest, cultural diversity, history of policing, U.S. and Texas constitution and traffic law.
For more information about the LCC Police Academy, call 794-4908.
For college students interested in a career with a law enforcement agency, LCC also offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice.
For more information, contact the LCC Protective Services Department by calling 794-4710.
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