TPD graduates class of 40 - ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather & Sports for Toledo, OH

Forty new crime fighters are hitting the streets of Toledo. The Toledo Police Department graduated its 60^th class of officers Thursday night.

Graduates went through 26 weeks of grueling training involving academics, physical conditioning, driving, and firearms.

"There's more to it than you think," said newly-graduated Officer Kyle Rogalski. "You have to drive backward, forward and park at fast speeds."

Rogalski gave up his job as a Walmart manager to join the force. He's following in the footsteps of his dad Robert, a retired TPD officer.

Dad's advice to his son:

"Do your best. Try to do everything the way the division's manual wants you to do it, and serve the community."

Rogalski's mother Sue is proud of her son, but still nervous.

"Being in harm's way, [even] at a traffic stop where he could get hit by a car," she said.

The class brings TPD manpower to 600, but Chief Derrick Diggs promises more officers.

"I've been working very hard to get our manning numbers up to where I think they need to be," Diggs said. "Once this class graduates, I'm going to work to try to select another class this fall in September."

And that class could number between fifty and sixty.

Meanwhile, the latest class will now be assigned to the operations division. Over the next four months, they'll continue their training by working with field officers.

The graduation ceremony was held at Owens Community College in Perrysburg Township, where the police academy is located. 

Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.