Six Cadets to Graduate Friday from LCPD Academy

The Las Cruces Police Department will graduate six cadets from its 54th Academy on Friday, Dec. 20.

The graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Council Chambers at Las Cruces City Hall, 700 N. Main St. Attendance for the graduation ceremony is limited to the cadets, their families, Las Cruces police officials and invited guests.

Five of the graduating cadets will become officer-trainees with the Las Cruces Police Department. One will begin his career with the New Mexico State University Police Department.

The graduating class includes Vincent Montoya, Veridiana Porras, Juan Prieto, Alan Ramirez, Eric Reynolds and Jannette Soto. Montoya will work for the NMSU Police Department.

All six graduates will have completed a 24-week state-certified academy and passed comprehensive exams that make them eligible for their New Mexico peace officer certification.

The education and training that LCPD cadets receive exceeds requirements established by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. LCPD’s state-certified academy provided 1,164 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.

Upon completion of the academy, LCPD graduates will be assigned to experienced field training officers who guide them for an additional 14 weeks of instruction on all three patrol shifts.

The Las Cruces Police Department anticipates beginning its 55^th Academy in the spring of 2025. Anyone interested in learning more about the Academy can go online at CLCPD.com.