DeKalb Technical College honored 12 Law Enforcement Academy recruits at the Aug. 19 commencement ceremony at the Newton campus.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Harold D. Melton, who served as the guest speaker for the occasion, offered words of encouragement to the graduates and presented two main points as the core of his speech: “Yours is a noble calling” and “Be noble, for your calling is noble.” He said, “Your profession is only for certain people. You will wear many hats as a law enforcement officer. Your tools are many, but no tool will be greater than what is in your heart and in your head.”

Deputy Paul Williams proudly addressed the guests on behalf of his graduating class. “Our journey began 17 weeks ago, and from that time until this very moment we, as a class, have grown together. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, we’ve bled together, we’ve prayed together, and because of that we’ve made it through this together.”

Beverly Thomas, Law Enforcement Academy Director, said, “The graduates worked hard for what they are obtaining here, and it is not an easy job to do. It takes a lot of training and education. Hopefully, the most important lesson we have given the graduates is that they need to learn more. Training and education in this field is so important, and I hope they leave here with that understanding.”

The Law Enforcement Academy presents two awards to two deserving recruits in every graduating class. Michael Breaux, Jr. received the Academic Award for the highest overall grade point average, and John Parker received the Top Gun Award for the highest overall shooting average on the firing range. 

The Law Enforcement Academy is a fulltime, 17 week, paramilitary structured program designed to increase the training, knowledge, and understanding of the complex issues regarding law enforcement today. Recruits completing this program will gain, in addition to their P.O.S.T Basic Law Enforcement certification, 59 college credits towards an associate’s degree in criminal justice. The Law Enforcement Academy is one of the State’s first P.O.S.T certified Basic Mandate programs on a college campus with college credit.

DeKalb Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, has eight centers of learning in DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale, and Morgan counties. Established in 1961, DeKalb Technical College currently has more than 4,000 students enrolled in diploma or degree programs and more than 9,000 in adult education classes. For more information visit www.dekalbtech.edu.