Camden County College Police Academy celebrated the graduation of 18 new recruits at the Dennis Flyer Theater on Sept. 19, a ceremony that included friends, family and local officals.
The academy – established in 1988 – is certified by the New Jersey Police Training Commission to provide comprehensive law-enforcement training. It operates through a partnership with Camden County College, the county prosecutor’s office and the Camden County Chiefs of Police.
The academy offers programs for basic police officer training, basic county corrections officer training, Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) I and II training, and juvenile detention officer training.
Located at the Camden County Regional Emergency Training Center at the Lakeland campus of the college in Blackwood, the academy emphasizes adherence to national standards and best practices in use-of-force and de-escalation.
The graduation featured remarks by county Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr., who spoke about the challenges and responsibilities that come with a career in law enforcement.
“Policing is one of the hardest professions there is, and these recruits have just completed rigorous training to begin protecting our communities,” he said. “It fills me with great pride to see these young people stepping up to begin a career in public service, and I have no doubt that their futures are bright.”
Among the highlights of the ceremony was the traditional badge-pinning, in some cases by family members who are current or retired law-enforcement officials.
The graduates of the 88th Basic Police Recruit Class include:
- Angelo Acevedo, Gloucester City
- Michael Bryan, Camden County
- Matthew Camp, Camden County
- Jacob Carr, Camden County
- Joshua Collado, Camden County
- Mason Gaskill, Gloucester City
- Domenic Kidd, Camden County
- Calvin Lebron, Camden County
- Sanders Lopez, Camden County
- Kevin Mardy, Camden County sheriff
- Abrimelec Matos-Garcia, Camden County
- James Plaganis, Camden County
- Marcon Quinagon, Gloucester Township
- Shaun Roch, Gloucester City
- Brandon Rogers, Camden County
- Bryan Rodriguez, Camden County
- Preston Wilson, Salem City
- Rah Jay Wint, Camden County
The Camden County College Police Academy, located in the Camden County Regional Emergency Training Center at Lakeland, is dedicated to training the next generation of law enforcement professionals. With a commitment to rigorous training and community service, the academy prepares its graduates to meet the challenges of modern policing.
