114 Officers Join Suffolk County Police Department

A total of 114 new officers were recently added to the Suffolk County Police Department.

The 169th graduating class for the location department completed their training at the police academy with a ceremony held last Wednesday in Brentwood.

According to the department, the class is the largest representation of the Hispanic community in a single class since 2000.

A total of 10 percent of the officers are fluent in Spanish and 19 percent are members of the Hispanic population.

In addition, 10 of the new officers have military backgrounds and 38 have prior law enforcement experience.

Out of the 114 recruits, 33 percent have prior law enforcement experience and 66 percent have at least a 2-year degree.

The recruits have completed 29 weeks of academy training and have received more than 1000 hours of instruction on topics including law, emergency medical training, defensive tactics, domestic violence, mental illness, cultural diversity, emergency driving, firearms and terrorism.

"This is an incredibly diverse, talented class of graduates and I am proud to welcome them to the Suffolk County Police Department," Police Commissioner Timothy D. Sini said. "I commend these brave men and women for choosing to dedicate their careers to serving our great county. On behalf of this department, I thank them for their selflessness, their courage and their dedication to law enforcement."

The graduating class also includes three officers who will serve in the East Hampton Town Police Department and one officer who will serve the Westhampton Beach Police Department.

Last month, 59 recruits graduated from the academy for a total of 173 new officers added to the county police department’s ranks.