New graduates of Oakland Police Academy ready to serve
OAKLAND (KPIX) -- A new class of graduates from the Oakland Police Basic Academy celebrated finishing the program Friday morning and prepared to begin working as officers on duty.
"I always wanted to a be a police officer when I was young. It's always been a dream of mine," said Khalil Logan, a graduate of the academy and the class valedictorian. "It's one of those things where you wake up every morning and you see that there's a lot of help that can be provided to people and it's just an honor to think that you can be the person to do that for somebody."
The 187th Basic Academy included 26 future Oakland officers -- 3 women and 23 men. The city of Alameda will get six new officers from the class. There is a four-week transition period for officers joining OPD.
"It's mentally, physically challenging, it definitely tests your soul," Logan said of the academy. He is originally from Concord and knew he wanted to join OPD. "I see how progressive they are and some of their views on how policing should be and it excited me."
Other graduates are from outside California but have lived in Oakland and felt this department was the right fit for them.
"Being a police officer is always something that I wanted to do and Oakland is very similar to Detroit," said Gabrielle Hamilton, another academy graduate. "It was difficult, no days off."
The 24-week program was more of challenge than she expected but she is eager to work in the community and be of service to people.
"We're going to be the blueprint of what's expected in policing and be the change," she told KPIX. "You want your toughest and strongest people to take that challenge."
Speakers at graduation included Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf and the chair of the police commission.
"Ensure that those hard-fought reforms and evolutions -- that next chapter in policing that you all are writing," Mayor Schaaf said to the graduates. "You have signed up at this particular moment for that awesome task."
The 26 new officers will help fill some vacant positions at OPD. Once the graduates join the department, there will be 674 officers in Oakland. OPD is authorized to have 792 officers with 55 positions currently frozen, the department said.
"When I look at police and I see police and what I think they should be, it models that," Logan said about OPD. "I think Oakland is taking the first step. A lot of agencies are making changes but we're definitely leaders in that."
The Oakland Police Officers' Association said these new officers face high crime with staffing at the lowest level in a decade. The OPA reports 86 officers left in 2021 and 40 have left this year.
"I want to take this opportunity to embrace this moment and enjoy this feeling," Logan said.