Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2013 --- 6:04 a.m.

Press Release from the Madison Police Department:

This Friday marks the graduation date for the Madison Police Department's (MPD) 55th Pre-Service Academy. Consistent with previous classes, this year's group of recruits is an eclectic group of women and men who bring a vast array of life, work and educational experiences.

A "snapshot" profile of the class yields some interesting facts. Over half of the class are women and people of color; the average age of hire is "28," and not only is the class well-educated (bachelor's degrees have become the prominent entry point for educational attainment), almost a quarter of the class has a master's degree! The class hails from a variety of previous careers that include domestic violence advocates, social service providers, probation agents, teachers, youth program directors, sales, and police officers from other jurisdictions.

These officers began their nine-month journey when they took the oath of office on May 29th, 2012. This is the third class to graduate from the Department's own training facilities (located at 5702 Femrite Drive). The "in-house" training was five months in duration and consisted of courses ranging from a host of topics including professional communications, defense and arrest tactics, constitutional law, investigations, community policing and problem solving. MPD prides itself on an exceedingly comprehensive curriculum that provide advanced, hands-on scenario-based instruction in topical areas like crisis intervention, dealing with the unique challenges of the mentally ill, and relational skills.

Following completion of their "in-house" training, the next step is four months of field training. Each recruit is paired with a veteran officer/partner who helps them make the transition from classroom to the realities of calls on the streets. The officers work varied hours and districts in order to get a cross-sampling of the unique needs of the City by time of day and locale.

The ceremony will be held on Friday, February 1st, at 6:00pm at Monona Terrace. The class has chosen Madison Police Officer Susan Carnell (a Training Officer assigned to the Training Staff) to deliver the commencement address.

On February 3rd, these officers will go "solo" and be assigned to Patrol Services working in one of the Department's five district stations on afternoons and nights.