Denver Sheriff Department Welcomes 23 New Deputies At Graduation Ceremony

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Sheriff Department hosted a graduation ceremony on Friday to welcome 23 new deputies. Mayor Michael Hancock spoke at the celebration along with Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins and Murphy Robinson, Executive Director of Public Safety.

The class completed a 16-week academy before joining the ranks. Family and friends gathered at the department to celebrate their success.

Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins acknowledged that working in law enforcement can be a challenging job.

"It's a tough time to be in law enforcement and it's especially tough being a Denver Deputy Sheriff. We're 210 deputies short," said Diggins. "But what I can tell you is, as a department we always think of things in a glass half-full mindset."

The graduation comes at a time when law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling to fill positions. Since January 2020, the Aurora Police Department has lost 159 trained officers either through retirement, resignation or termination.