31 Law Enforcement Officers In Alexandria Graduate From Academy

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Alexandria Police Department is gaining 21 new police officers and the Alexandria Sheriff's Office will have 10 new sheriff's deputies after the recruits completed their training academy.

The 31 law enforcement recruits graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy on Dec. 19. Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey, Police Chief Don Hayes, and members of their command and training staffs were present for the graduation ceremony at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Center on Northern Virginia Community College's Alexandria campus.

Recruits completed 20 weeks of training at the academy. Training covered areas such as emergency vehicle operations, firearms training, defensive and control tactics, crash investigation, de-escalation tactics and basic legal training. Sheriff's deputies also had to complete training in jail operations, courthouse security and civil process.

The new law enforcement officers are: Officer Michael Bowlin, Officer Dominick Chambers, Deputy Prakaykeaw Chuenjaichon, Officer John Cox, Officer Al Davis, Deputy Thyshown David Esperience, Officer Geovany Flores, Officer Ryan Gaskill, Officer Jacqueline Guerra, Officer Emmanuel Gyamfi, Officer Chelsea Henry, Officer Hennessiss Hernandez, Deputy Skyler Johnson, Officer Evelyn McNamara-Jeffrey, Deputy Nicholas Layton, Deputy Ricardo Marquez-Argueta, Deputy Jessica Meekins, Officer Jesus Moriel, Officer Malik Moten, Officer Steven Navas Gomez, Deputy Alexandra Nixon, Deputy Daniel Osmanovic, Officer Oscar Portillo, Officer Chad Ralls, Officer Sadaiah Robbins, Deputy Jaida Rose, Officer Jack Silvernale, Officer Natashah Squires, Officer Jeff Y. Sun, Deputy Huu Colton Thomas and Officer Michelle Vasquez Quintanilla.

Recruits represent backgrounds of at least 11 countries, including the U.S., England, Mexico, China, Thailand, Ghana, Honduras, Vietnam, Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador, and Jamaica. Several members speak multiple languages, and 15 have higher education degrees.

Some of the recruits had distinguished roles in the ceremony. Cox and Meekins were part of the honor guard that presented the colors at the start of the ceremony. Cox received the Thomas L. Shaw Award, given to an outstanding member of the class. Meekins was selected as a class vice-president. Henry won top honors among female recruits in physical fitness, while Meekins and McNamara-Jeffrey earned second and third place, respectively. Moten was second place among male recruits in physical fitness, and Cox earned third place in emergency vehicle operations. Master Deputy Curran Thorne, an Alexandria deputy assigned to the academy, received the David Vice Award, which is given to an outstanding academy instructor as determined by recruits' votes.

The Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy prepares law enforcement recruits in Alexandria as well as in Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, George Mason University, Town of Leesburg, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park, Town of Middleburg, Northern Virginia Community College, Town of Purcellville, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Police, and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police. Fairfax County has its own training academy for the Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, the Herndon and Vienna Police Departments and the Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office.

The new recruits come as the Alexandria Police Departments and other police departments in the U.S. have grappled with staffing challenges. Over the summer, the police department adjusted how it responds to calls due to staffing shortages.

Pay for law enforcement was boosted in the recent budget as the city government tackles employee retention and recruitment. Additional pay increases for police will come under a new collective bargaining agreement between city government and Southern States Police Benevolent Association starting July 1, 2023.