City of Mesquite issued the following announcement on June 18
On June 17, eight new Mesquite Police Officers graduated from the Mesquite Police Department’s (MPD) Basic Peace Officer Course (BPOC), bringing the training academy total to 100 recruits since it began in 2013. This is the 15th graduation class to complete the internal training program. According the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement website, there are 2,778 agencies, and only 115 with their own academies, including the MPD BPOC.
Interim Police Chief David Faaborg said, “Less than 5% of agencies have their own academy and this is an amazing achievement to reach in its first eight years. I also look forward to seeing our eight new graduates continue to grow as they begin field training and then serve the citizens of Mesquite.”
The graduates are Cameron A. MacKay II- Forney, Texas; Douglas J. Newson – San Jose, California; Iman S. Khatib – Mokena, Illinois; Nehemias I. Iglesias – El Salvador; Kevin K. Johnson – Duncanville, Texas; Lance J. Thomas – Rowlett, Texas; Colin J. Pabst – Baltimore, Maryland; Troy A. Jackson – Brooklyn, New York.
The recruits in the graduating class have diverse backgrounds. They range in age from 22 to 28. Cameron MacKay played college football and sings bass in his church choir. Douglas Newson graduated from Poteet High School in 2012 and is a former MPD dispatcher. Lance Thomas graduated with a Bacehlor’s of Science in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University and Iman Khatib graduated with a Master of Science in Business Analytics. She also has an identical twin sister. Nehemias Iglesias is from El Salvador and his sister is currently an MPD investigations officer. Kevin Johnson served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 5 years. Colin Pabst is from Baltimore where he was a police officer for the Baltimore County Police Department. And Troy Jackson is from Brooklyn and can’t blow bubbles with chewing gum.
The eight new police officers completed 25 weeks of the BPOC program. They now will begin a 17-week field training program. Upon successful completion of the program, the police officers will be assigned to patrol duties.
A portion of Mayor Bruce Archer’s speech delivered at the June 18, 2021 Mesquite Police Department Basic Police Officer Course Graduation:
Good Morning.
On behalf of the entire City Council, it is a wonderful privilege to be with all of you today.
I am honored to have this opportunity to share some brief remarks on this very important occasion.
First, allow me to recognize some of our city councilmembers that are here today.
This graduation ceremony marks a significant milestone for our Mesquite Police Department.
Today, they graduate their 100th cadet through their internal Basic Peace Officer Program.
You see, according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement:
- There are more than 78,500 licensed peace officers in Texas,
- And there are 2,738 police agencies,
- But, only 115 of those agencies have their own academy – that’s less than 5%
That means that here in Mesquite, Texas, your police department is getting their cadets trained in special and specific ways to keep this city safe.
The cadets become more knowledgeable about what is expected when comes to policing in Mesquite.
They are trained by officers with decades of experiences who have worked in this city.
And, they become more familiar with this community and the people they will be serving as police officers.
So now, these 8 cadets take their next steps towards joining this group of selfless servants.
They will become protectors of property and people in our city.
They will listen to better understand the needs of our community.
And, they will hold themselves and others accountable for their words and actions.
These new police officers will play a huge role in being ambassadors in our city.
They will help us become one of the Safest Cities in America!
Each day, they will make sure everyone in Mesquite feels safe – and knows they are welcomed in our city.
Just as our community is diverse, so is this class of cadets:
- This graduating class of cadets comes to us from: Maryland, New York, California, Illinois, and as far away as El Salvador and from the nearby cities of Forney, Duncanville and Rowlett.
- Some have served in the military and others have earned college degrees.
- Some are married and some are engaged.
- And, they have different interests from singing in a choir, to fishing and mixed martial arts, to still learning how to blow bubbles with chewing gum!
They are all different. But they are people.
As the Mayor and on behalf of the entire City Council and our City Manager – we need them to know we are here for them – we have their backs!
We will do all we can to make sure you have the best training possible.
We will make sure you have the best equipment possible.
And, we will make certain that you have the best resources possible to make each of you successful and to get you home safe after each shift.
So, in closing, I ask that we all stand, and let’s applaud this group officers for their commitment – their convictions – and their character to serve Mesquite, Texas!
Original source can be found here.
