Pittsburgh's Police Training Academy graduated 16 recruits on October 22, including 15 basic recruits who began training on February 23 and one certified recruit who joined on August 24, according to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
The basic recruits completed 33 weeks of classroom instruction covering criminal law and procedure, Pennsylvania vehicle code, patrol procedure, firearms training, human relations, CPR, and de-escalation tactics. The certified recruit, who had already completed Act 120 certification, will finish Pittsburgh Police-specific training in approximately 8-10 weeks.
The ceremony took place at Foerster Auditorium at the Community College of Allegheny County. Police Chief Jason Lando, addressing the class via video from the Major Cities Chiefs Conference in Florida, told new officers: "Treat every person you encounter the way you would expect a member of your own family to be treated if they were in that same situation."
The new officers will be assigned to duty locations throughout the city to begin 13 weeks of field training.