Published: September 17, 2009 11:27 pm      

Nine officers graduate from Meridian academy

Two officers are the first women to complete training

It is always a tricky thing to rate one class against another, especially when talking about law enforcement officers.

So Mike Vick, who is the class coordinator and training instructor for the Meridian Law Enforcement Academy at the Meridian Public Safety Training Facility on Sandflat Road, simplified things by saying each of the departments these officers would serve in will be gaining a valuable and well trained officer.

"Of course I'm a little bit biased because I helped train these men and women but I honestly think these officers will serve the people in their respective communities very well," said Vick.

Thursday night at Union Station in Meridian approximately 150 friends, family, fellow law enforcement officers and the heads of police and sheriff's departments where the nine officers will serve watched as the officers received their diplomas. It was the culmination of classes, physical training and firearms certification that began on April 25.

Vick said the officers took 220 hours of instruction ranging from criminal law to how best to take a suspect into custody. Each person had to attend two night classes per week in order to finish the curriculum.

"The only difference in this training course and the one at the academy in Pearl is that our class doesn't involve as much physical training or shooting. These officers have to do most of that on their own and then come and pass our tests," said Vick.

The departments represented were the Dekalb Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Leake County Sheriff's Department, Wayne County Sheriff's Department and the Newton County Sheriff's Department.

Another training cycle, class 0902, will begin Oct. 16 according to Vick. If anyone is interested in signing up for this class they are asked to call the Meridian Public Safety Training Facility at 601-484-6890.