In front of hundreds of friends, family, and members of Central Coast law enforcement agencies, the 110th class of Allan Hancock College’s Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated 21 recruits, including 17 who already have jobs lined up with area agencies. The ceremony took place at the same facility where the recruits had spent the previous 21 weeks, the college’s $36 million state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc.
“What you see here today is the heart of our community college,” Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers said in a press release.
“The fact that you 21 individuals have agreed to respond in the most serious emergencies in your communities is nothing short of heroic. It speaks greatly of the commitment you’re making to all of us and we’re grateful for it.”
The class included recruits from five countries, four military veterans, three former Division I athletes, 12 recruits with bachelor’s degrees, and one with a master’s degree.
Kohuske Kashiwazaki, hired by UC Santa Barbara Police Department, was named the class valedictorian.
“My classmates are some of the smartest, most driven, selfless, and honest people I have ever met,” Kashiwazaki said in a press release. “What an amazing moment in our lives this has been. There are more than one million words in the English language, and not one can describe this feeling now that we are done.”
Kashiwazaki was one of three recruits in the class hired by the UCSBPD, joined by Ramon Adams and Juan Rubio.
“Hold your heads up high as you leave the academy gates, Class 110. Our watch begins now,” he said to his classmates at the end of his valedictorian speech.
Ten recruits were hired by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office: Jesus Gutierrez, Margaret Kunigonis, Andrew Long, Mathew Maxwell, Charlene Petersen, Gregory Plett, Michael Rodriguez, Jr., Theo Sullivan, Derek Taylor, and Eddie Vega. Former Cal Poly football player Arturo Munoz and Matthew Gavette will begin their careers with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. The Paso Robles Police Department will welcome Hancock graduate Maeghan Smallwood, and Kristina Condon-Sherwood will join the Pismo Beach Police Department.
Four recruits are in the middle of the interview and hiring process with various law enforcement agencies.
During the 21-week, 843-hour course, Class 110 combined to run more than 2,500 miles, completed 62,000 pull-ups and 82,000 push-ups, fired nearly 116,000 rounds of ammunition, and wrote 1,900 reports. Each recruit completed 26 written exams, eight emergency vehicle operations, eight firearms tests, 14 scenario tests, and eight arrest and control tests. The class also had an average score of 93 percent on written exams.
The class was the first to complete Taser and less lethal impact shotgun training in the academy.
Various organizations and agencies presented awards to recognize recruits for excellence in areas such as physical fitness, most improved, leadership, report writing, and firearms.
For more information about Hancock’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy, call 922-6966, Ext. 3264.
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2016.