Hill graduates from Police Academy

Ryan Hill of Clarendon recently graduated from the Amarillo Police Department’s 84th Police Academy and was sworn in December 6, 2013, with 11 other officers.

The officers completed 1,113 hours of training since the academy began May 30, and recruit officers passed the Texas Basic Peace Officer’s Certification Test before continuing with additional training, Sgt. Brent Barbee said.

Recruits tackle subjects including emergency vehicle operation, report writing, department rules, criminal and juvenile traffic laws, searches and seizures, criminal investigation, collecting evidence, interviewing in mental health crises, the mechanics of arrest, and self-defense, Barbee said.

The new officers will be assigned to the department’s uniform division and will continue training under field training officers for four months, rotating through different shifts, Barbee said.

The field training program is designed to expose police to more than 900 police tasks. The department’s authorized strength is 358 sworn officers, and the new officers bring department strength up to 341 officers, Barbee said.