New Oakland police officers graduate at challenging time for department

OAKLAND, Calif. - The ranks of the Oakland Police Department grew by 18 on Friday.

The 15 men and three women officially join the force after a grueling six-month academy that includes physical training and academic coursework.

The graduation at Scottish Rite Center near Lake Merritt both raucous and dignified, as proud family and friends looked on.

This was Officer Elizabeth Garcia's third time in the academy. She got the award for academic achievement and had previously worked in Oakland's payroll division

"I want to help as much as I can," Garcia said. "This is a city I've come to love and a community I've been a part of for many years."

The ceremony comes at a trying time for the department. There is still no permanent leader. Officers have been grappling with high-profile crimes, including armed robberies, burglaries and deadly shootings. And some officers are upset that their personal data has been stolen by hackers.

But all that was left unsaid. 

The city's newest officers were acknowledged, appreciated and asked to help get a handle on crime.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and acting police chief Darren Allison were among those congratulating the new officers.

"\People want to serve in Oakland because they can be the change-maker. Right? It's not about, 'OK, we see something going wrong, we're seeing something on the headlines, we're going to back away from it.' People care about the community."

Officer Ignacio Cabrera-Aldaz said, "I was born and raised in Oakland, so I was born and raised in the same city th,at I'm planning on working for and like I said, that comes with an extra layer of excitement for serving my community."      

Two other officers also graduated, but they're now with the Richmond Police Department, including Officer Colton Stocking, the class valedictorian, who was congratulated by Richmond top cop Bisa French.

 "The Oakland program was the best in the nation, for sure, so many great teachers and instructors, just years and generations of experience handed down," Stocking said.

The new officers bring to 723 the number of sworn officers in the department, which has an authorized strength of 741.