Monday was the official first day of training for New Haven Police Academy recruits. For the next seven months they’ll train, then eventually be placed on the beat on the streets of New Haven.
There are 32 new recruits. Two are being trained for the Trumbull Police Department and the rest are New Haven hires and were sworn in by New Haven Mayor Toni Harp Monday.
“As you get started, I wish for you patience, persistence and perseverance as you launch your career in crime prevention and law enforcement,” she told them.
The recruits are the second 2016 recruiting class for the New Haven Police Academy.
The recruits have been vetted for months. They've had a background check, a polygraph test, a psychological evaluation and more.
Members who pass the academy will be the first group to join the police department following the recent departure of former Chief Dean Esserman and i nterim Police Chief Anthony Campbell said a diverse class is important to have.
"It’s one of the emphases that we are placing -- that I’m particularly placing on the academy – is that the academy should reflect the city in which the police officers will work. So it’s important for us to have a high level of minorities," Campbell said.
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Compared to previous classes, the members in this one have the most diversity in more than five years, with 63 percent of recruits being women and minorities.
The class and the most recent graduating class also have 17 city residents combined – the most the city has seen in years.
The hope is the recruits will be able to connect with residents more and that will help combat crime.
“When you have vested interest in the city, when you live in the city where you police, it makes all the difference in the world it adds to the ability to connect,” Campbell said.
He added that of the 452 officers currently in the New Haven Police Department, about 30 of them could retire right now so this class is especially important to keep up with the number of officers they have in the city.
