Following 18 weeks of intensive training, the Oakland Police Academy graduates its 101st Basic Police Training class of 24 trainees on Dec. 9. 

The academy is located on Oakland Community’s Auburn Hills Campus.

Commencement ceremonies begin at 2 p.m. in the Smith Theatre at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge Campus, 27055 Orchard Lake Rd., in Farmington Hills.  The principal speaker will be Chief Charles Nebus of the Farmington Hills Police Department.

Some students enter the Oakland Police Academy as police officer trainees after they have been accepted for employment by a law enforcement agency.  The agency then sponsors the trainee in the academy’s basic police training program.  In other cases, however, students are accepted directly into the academy, and then find employment after graduation.

One of the 24 students in the class is sponsored by the Farmington Hills Police Department.  Another is sponsored by the Wayne State University Police Department.  Two are sponsored by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and four are sponsored by the Genesee Parks and Recreation Commission.  The other graduates are independent students deemed eligible for licensure by the state of Michigan.

Two basic police training classes enrolling up to 50 students are held each year.  In addition, the academy presents specialized programs in such topics as police interview techniques and police dog training.  Approximately 3,000 law enforcement personnel attend the Oakland Police Academy annually.

The Auburn Hills Campus of OCC is located at 2900 Featherstone Rd. in Auburn Hills.  For further information about the Oakland Police Academy contact Director of Basic Police Training Richard Tillman at 248.232.4222.

The graduates and their hometowns are:

Mohamad Bazzy   Dearborn

Larence McLendon   Oak Park

Michael Beale         Highland

Brandon Nolin        Waterford

Jason Bothwell     Lake Orion

James Rempinski    Chesterfield

Bradley Clor            Dryden

Timothy Samson      Flushing

Deanna Fahey        Troy

Jeffrey Shafer, Jr.      Davisburg

Anthony Gagliardi      Madison Heights

Rebecca Stadler      Clio

Michael Galajda     Fenton

Ryan Strauss       Swartz Creek

Syed Hassan     Canton

Nolan Vekoff     Sterling Heights

Daniel Hendrick     Berkley

Nicholas West        Wixom

Gregory Howard       Waterford

Kasey Whitford      Grand Blanc

Nathan Jaco      Millington

Ryan Yudt   Livonia

Kristopher Joswiak    Canton

Michael Zilinski      Montrose