LCC police academy graduates 16 cadets

Caption: The South Texas Border Regional Police Academy of Laredo Community College celebrated the graduation of 16 cadets in the A-10 Class on Thursday, May 20 in the Kazen College Center. Pictured, from left, front, they are police academy assistant director Israel Santillan, Arturo Pedraza, Juan C. Roque, Arcilia Sanchez, Dennise Luna, Juan Ramirez Jr., Javier Cano, police academy director Donald R. Hale; back, Apolonio Lozano, Adalberto Cardenas, Marco A. Samaniego, Alberto E. Ramos, Jose M. Ramirez, Pedro A. Juarez Jr., Carlos Castillejos, Roberto A. Ayala.

Area law enforcement has armed itself with more certified peace officers thanks to 16 graduating Laredo Community College cadets who have passed the state certification exam.

The cadets, members of the A-10 basic peace officer class, were honored at a graduation ceremony, hosted by the LCC South Texas Border Regional Police Academy, on Thursday, May 20, in the Kazen College Center at the Fort McIntosh Campus.

In addition to completing the 19-week basic peace officer training program at the LCC South Campus, the cadets were recognized for accomplishing a 100 percent pass rate on the Texas Certified Law Enforcement Officer State Examination (TCLEOSE). All 16 cadets who took the exam achieved a passing score and are now Texas-certified peace officers.

The graduation class includes Roberto A. Ayala, Javier Cano, Adalberto Cardenas, Carlos Castillejos, Alberto Estrada, Adan Jasso, Pedro A. Juarez Jr., Apolonio Lozano, Dennise Luna, Arturo Pedraza, Jose M. Ramirez, Juan Ramirez Jr., Alberto E. Ramos, Juan C. Roque, Marco A. Samaniego and Arcilia Sanchez.

"As one of the leading trainers for law enforcement in the state, Laredo Community College is pleased to recognize this group of cadets for completing their law enforcement training and excelling in the state certification exam," academy director Donald Hale said.

In order to be admitted to the LCC Police Academy, participating cadets must be sponsored by a law enforcement agency.

The agencies that sponsored the cadets included the Webb County Sheriff's Office, Webb County Constable Precincts 1, 2 and 4, and the Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Department.

Several cadets were singled out with special awards, including the first-time presentation of the Golden Eagle Award, which was created to honor the graduating class' top overall student in memory of the late Captain Ricardo Acosta, who was a longtime trainer and academy instructor.

Pedro Juarez received the Golden Eagle Award.

The other special awards presented during the graduation ceremonies included the Academic Achievement Award to Roberto A. Ayala, the Cadet Mentor Award to Juan Carlos Roque, and the Top Gun Award to Jose M. Ramirez.

The 760-hour basic peace officer training program at LCC is comprised of rigorous physical training and study focusing on a variety of topics including the penal code, family violence, code of criminal procedures, firearms training, defensive tactics, emergency driving, patrol procedures, criminal investigating, mechanics of arrest, cultural diversity, history of policing, U.S. and Texas constitution and traffic law.

For more information about the LCC Police Academy, call 794-4908.

For college students interested in a career with a law enforcement agency, LCC also offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice.

For more information, contact the LCC Protective Services Department by calling 794-4710.