LA County Sheriff Luna swears in 75 academy graduates as new peace officers

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna swore in the 75 recruits of graduating academy Class #486 as newly minted peace officers on Thursday, Jan. 15 at the STARS Center in Whittier.

Luna was joined by Fifth District L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Culver City Police Chief Jason Sims, Glendale Police Chief Robert William, Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob, Simi Valley Police Chief Charles “Steven” Shorts, Torrance Police Chief Bob Dunn and Captain Jeff Chobanian of the UCLA Police Department.

The graduates — eight women and 67 men — completed 22 weeks of education and training. Their academy curriculum included physical conditioning, criminal law, defensive tactics, leadership development, patrol and emergency-vehicle operations and weapons training, as well as  instruction in the department’s policies and procedures, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

Among the graduates, 47 speak a language other than English, including Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and American Sign Language, according to officials, with 14 born outside the United States.

Eighteen are the sons or daughters of current or former law enforcement officers. Five graduates also have attainted Masters degrees.

L.A. County employs the nation’s largest sheriff’s department, with nearly 18,000 budgeted sworn and professional staff, according to the department’s website.