14 Cadets to Graduate from LCPD Academy

The Las Cruces Police Department will graduate 14 cadets from its 56^th Academy on Friday.

The graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in the Auditorium at the Dona Ana Community College East Mesa Campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Seating is limited, so attendance for the graduation ceremony is primarily set aside for families of the cadets, Las Cruces police officials and invited guests.

The graduating class includes Zachary Beltran, Luis Campos, Caleb Chiarelli, Devinee Flores, Christina Gonzalez, Roberto Hernandez, Luis Jimenez, Dana Nelson, Gabriel Padilla, Sergio Porras, Sergio Ramirez, Dorian Subia, Ayleen Torres and Yadiza Trejo.

Upon graduation, all 14 cadets will become officer-trainees with the Las Cruces Police Department and will be assigned to experienced field training officers who guide them for an additional 17 weeks of instruction on all three patrol shifts. The graduates will have completed a six-week pre-academy, 22-week state-certified law enforcement academy and passed comprehensive exams that make them eligible for their New Mexico peace officer certification.

The education and training that LCPD cadets receive far exceeds the 677-hour requirement established by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. LCPD’s state-certified academy provides 1,085 accredited hours of law enforcement education and training. The bulk of the academy, roughly 60 percent of it, is classroom instruction while the remaining 40 percent consists of field training in and around Las Cruces.

Applications for LCPD’s 57^th Academy, scheduled to begin in 2027, are now being accepted. More information about LCPD’s academy and a link to the application can be found online.