Police Department

Fourteen Police Recruits Begin Training At Law Enforcement Academy

Ofc. John O'Brien, PIO

Monday, February 10, 2020 at 12:44 p.m.

New police officers are on the way in Spokane. Thanks to the generosity of Spokane voters, 14 new Police recruits have begun training at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the Spokane Police Training Center. Voters in February 2019 approved a property tax levy to add 20 new police personnel and to retain 30 firefighters beginning in 2020.

The nine men and five women represent the largest class of recruits the Spokane Police Department has sent to the Academy in more than two decades.

The new recruits will spend the next five months in the Academy and are expected to start patrolling City of Spokane streets with their field-training officers in mid-July.

“Enhancing public safety, particularly in our downtown core, is a priority for me and our citizens,” says Mayor Nadine Woodward. “I am excited to have these new recruits begin their training, taking an important step toward fulfilling the will of our voters.”

“We have put together a new recruit class that is more diverse in gender, age, and background than ever before,” says Police Chief Craig Meidl. “That diversity will allow us to better connect with our community.”

The new recruits will bring different strengths and experiences to the job. Two are former college athletes; another is the mother of four children. Several recruits are leaving behind careers in the retail and hospitality industries.

For more information on the Spokane Police Department’s latest class of recruits, watch this video produced by City Cable 5. https://vimeo.com/389817774

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