The police class consists of 42 men and women who will complete a total of 26 weeks of training, totaling 1,040 hours.TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Tuesday was the first day of school for people training to become Toledo police officers.
The Toledo Police Department's 60th Basic Police Officer Academy Class started Tuesday in the Law Enforcement Building at Owens Community College. The trainees are tentatively scheduled to graduate on March 1, 2013.
The class consists of 42 highly qualified men and women who will complete a total of 26 weeks of training, totaling 1,040 hours. They will spend six months in the academy and then an additional four months in the field paired with an experienced senior officer.
Mayor Mike Bell and Toledo Police Chief Derrick Diggs welcomed the new class. Bell calls the police class "way overdue," referencing the gap when there were no police classes at all. He said his administration is committed to hiring police officers and making sure people feel safe in the city.
"We added 79 police officers. This adds another 42 to that, so we're trying to get the number up," explained Bell.
Bell said he is dedicated to getting the police department staffed with more than 600 officers within the next 12 to 14 months.
Diggs said the new officers will help support the department's firm focus approach to gun and gang violence in the community.
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