December 23, 2024 – A Los Angeles Police Academy graduation ceremony was held this morning at the LAPD Administration Building plaza.
Today’s ceremony featured 42 graduates. Thirty-eight officers were sworn for the LAPD and four were for Los Angeles World Airports. All recruits have completed 920 hours of training over the course of 24 weeks. The recruits proudly stood before Chief Charlie Beck, Department command staff, city officials and hundreds of spectators.
A special feature of Chief Beck’s presentation at the graduation ceremony was a speech within a speech from Deputy Chief Jose Perez, who was retiring with over 32 years of service. As part of his speech, Chief Perez said there should be three things one walks away with when leaving the LAPD, regardless of rank, to symbolize a successful career with the Department: good health, family and integrity.
Chief Beck returned to the podium and continued speaking. He thanked the family members and friends in attendance for instilling the right kind of character in the recruits, which was needed to be a successful LAPD officer. He continued his address, talking about a question he always asks recruits during his inspection of the graduates near the beginning of the ceremony. As he walks through the rows of new officers standing at attention, he asks each of them why they decided to become an LAPD officer. “They all had an answer,” said Chief Beck. “That answer is pure. That answer shows their character.”
In closing, he told the recruits they were entering a “fragile” profession with many pitfalls and temptations. “You can never allow your actions, as [Deputy Chief] Jose said, to tarnish that badge,” said Chief Beck. As always, the chief told the family and friends in the audience that while your loved ones protect and serve the City of Los Angeles, he would promise to protect and serve them.
Recruits will be expected to start their new jobs almost immediately, as many will be deployed in the field at their respective LAPD divisions beginning as soon as Sunday, December 27. In keeping with tradition, at the end of the ceremony, recruits recited their class chant and tossed their caps high into the air, celebrating their achievements at the academy and the prospects of success as LAPD’s newest officers.
".....serve the City of Los Angeles, he (Chief Beck) would promise to protect and serve them (the recruits)."
Did the recruits happen to get what Beck said in writing?
Posted by: Frank | January 13, 2025 at 08:12 PM