Alexandria welcomes 14 new law enforcement officers from regional academy
Sheriff's deputy, police officer earn top honors in physical fitness and academics
Fourteen new law enforcement officers are joining Alexandria’s public safety ranks after graduating Monday from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.
Three Alexandria Sheriff’s Office deputies and 11 Alexandria Police Department officers completed Session 153 of the Basic Law Enforcement School, with two Alexandria graduates earning top honors among all regional recruits.
Deputy Washington of the Sheriff’s Office received the Human Performance Award for top physical fitness among male recruits. One police officer, whose name has not yet been released, earned the Director’s Award for Academic Excellence, the highest academic honor for the entire class.
The ceremony at Christian Fellowship Church featured a keynote address by retired U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger.
The new police officers are Allen, Esquivel, Klots, Bailey, Cutting, Donisi, Donahue, Pavelka, Lopez, Searles and Aguilar. The class of four women and seven men collectively speaks three languages: English, Spanish and Arabic, according to Tracy Walker, communications manager for the Alexandria Police Department.
One officer served as class vice president. The group brings diverse professional and academic backgrounds, including a former 911 dispatcher with the city’s Department of Emergency Communications, a U.S. Army veteran, an officer with a master’s degree in psychology and another who studied Arabic abroad, Walker said. Several have generational ties to law enforcement through parents who served.
All cited a calling to help people in times of need as their reason for joining law enforcement, she said.
The sheriff’s deputies — Jones, Philpott and Washington — completed 20 weeks of training covering emergency vehicle operations, firearms, defensive tactics, crash investigation, de-escalation techniques and serving diverse communities. All three had previously finished state-mandated training in jail operations, court security and civil process.
The police officers began field training Tuesday, partnering with veteran training officers before beginning patrol duty. The sheriff’s deputies will also complete field training before returning to regular assignments.
Sheriff Sean Casey praised his deputies’ achievement. Chief Deputy Dave Cutting and Undersheriff Dan Gordon attended the ceremony.
Both agencies are actively recruiting. The Police Department will host a Walk-In Wednesday hiring event tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with another scheduled for Jan. 14. In-person and virtual assessments are available at joinapdva.com. The Sheriff’s Office is recruiting at joinaso.com.