On Aug. 16, the families, friends and colleagues of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Peace Officer Academy recruits gathered to celebrate their graduation from the program. The ceremony, held at Shemin Auditorium, was an opportunity to reflect on their accomplishments and look forward to the journey that awaits them.
“I challenge these new campus public safety officers to go out into the community every day and build trust with the people they serve. Congratulations graduates,” said Craig Stone, associate vice president and chief of the Department of Public Safety, during the graduation ceremony.
The graduates joining the ϲ DPS are:
2024 campus peace officer recruits with instructors and Deputy Chief Sardino and Chief Craig Stone. (Front row, left to right: Officer Dishaw, Sgt. Wheeler, Kit Diana, Teng Kiir, Delana Thomas and Liam Welling; back row, left to right: Officer Patsos, Thomas Bingham, Keyatta Green, Sean McCaffery, Barrington Wallace, Deputy Chief John Sardino and Associate Vice President and Chief Craig Stone)
“Today marks not just the end of a rigorous journey, but the beginning of a new chapter in each of the graduates’ lives. Over the last few months, they have acquired values and skills that will help them through every challenge,” said Sgt. Adam Wheeler, academy director. “I am proud of them and look forward to seeing them finish the program and be important assets to our team here at DPS.”
During the ceremony, in addition to the badge pinning and certificates being distributed, special honors were given to a couple of graduates. Liam Welling and Keyatta Green received performance-based awards, while Welling was also honored as the valedictorian of the class.
The newest DPS graduates will now begin their time as field training officers, working side by side with veteran DPS officers as they complete the required 480 hours of training before becoming fully qualified officers and officially completing the training program.
The University’s Department of Public Safety provides around-the-clock protection to the ϲ campus. Through various patrol and crime prevention efforts, DPS partners with students, faculty and staff to identify, recognize and eliminate crime hazards and risks within the campus community.
