By Joanna Putman
Police1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol welcomed 102 new officers during a swearing-in ceremony at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento, according to a news release.
Video released by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office shows officers using spike strips and performing a PIT maneuver before the occupants surrendered
“It’s called the law, and it’s obvious people don’t care about it, so you’ve got to up the game,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said
The James City County PD officers standing outside were unable to see where the shots were coming from; neither was struck by gunfire, but one was treated for other injuries
The incident occurred during a chaotic protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in the council member’s district
“Having successfully completed the last 26 weeks of intensive training, the CHP is pleased to welcome these new officers to the CHP family. They are beginning a career of service and I trust they will do everything they can to take care of their communities,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Every corner of the state deserves to have the best trained and prepared personnel, and I am confident these new officers will be able to provide the highest level of safety, service and security possible.”
The July 12 ceremony welcomed new officers from communities in California, Colorado and Oregon, the CHP said.
During their time at the CHP Academy, cadets received over 1,200 hours of training in vehicle patrol, crash investigations, first aid, apprehension of suspected violators, recovery of stolen vehicles and emergency scene management, according to the release. The new officers will report to one of the 102 CHP offices throughout the state beginning on July 22.
The CHP aims to fill 1,000 officer positions as part of the “CHP 1,000” recruitment campaign. In 2023, the CHP added 407 officers, and with the July 12 ceremony, an additional 409 officers have been sworn in this year. Two more cadet classes are scheduled to complete the academy before the end of 2024, according to the news release.
The increase in graduates accompanies a more than 90% jump in applications between January 2023 and 2024, according to a prior news release. That increase followed the release of the recruitment web series “Cadets.”
The CHP has more than 6,500 sworn officers, making it “the largest public-facing state law enforcement agency in the United States.”
