 Good afternoon. I'm Technician J. Casillas with the Denver Police Media Relations Unit. And on behalf of the Denver Police Department, I welcome each of you to this graduation ceremony. More than six months ago, these 42 men and women entered this building inspired to become Denver Police officers. And over the course of 27 weeks, the dedicated staff here at the Denver Police Training Bureau have prepared these recruit officers to now go out in the community for field training and begin their careers serving and protecting the people of Denver. Now, it is my honor to introduce Denver Police Recruit Class-21. Sergeant Junones, at this time, when you stand, if you are able, for the presentation of the colors by the Denver Police Honor Guard, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for the invocation delivered by Denver Police Chaplain, Father Sean McGrath. To you most holy one, we call upon your abundant blessing upon these cadets, soon to be commissioned officers of the Denver Police Department. Each and every one that are here to become officers have gone through various journeys in their life and has brought them to this new journey in their lives. With their family and friends walking with them on this new adventure, as well as your incredible presence, may they know that they are never alone. The words that they will hear today from our various speakers are a constant reminder to us that we call upon your name for strength, courage, as well as physical strength. And this day, too, we ask your blessing upon Marsha Berger, a long time and wonderful friend of the Denver Police Department as she battles her serious health issues. In a very special way, most holy one, watch over the family and friends of these soon to be officers, for they are the ones that gave these cadets the words of inspiration when they needed them the most. The ministry of presence, when no words were shared but just a smile or look was all these cadets needed during their times in this academy. And we offer this prayer in your name, amen. Thank you, Chapter McGrath. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Again, on behalf of the Denver Police Department and Recruit Class-221, welcome. This is a long awaited moment for our 42 new officers, and we thank you for being here to celebrate this accomplishment with them. At this time, I'll invite Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Safety, Mary Dulaki, to address our Recruit graduates. Good afternoon. What a sunny afternoon compared to the frosty morning we started. First of all, on behalf of Executive Director Armando Saldate, he extends his regrets that he couldn't be here to personally welcome you to the Department of Safety and to the Denver Police Department. But he didn't want to have a super-spreader event attributed to him, and he was completely under the weather this morning, so it's my honor to be here in his stead. It's also my honor to be here on behalf of the Mayor, Michael B. Hancock. Mayor Hancock really, truly, sincerely loves coming to these events to welcome you to the City of Denver family. Unfortunately, his travel schedule had him out of town at the moment, so on behalf of the Mayor, welcome and congratulations. You know, a lot's happened since you started this academy many, many months ago. You all have seen a lot of growth amongst yourselves, but there's been a lot of changes in the world, too. The Queen died, Elon Musk took over Twitter, and you got a new police chief, Chief Thomas. I've known Chief Thomas for more than the last 15 or so years, and I can tell you he is a man of honor and dignity. He is a quiet, thoughtful man who will have your backs and be your support, as well as be a tremendous asset for this city and for the people who reside within it. So you are in good hands. First and foremost, let's congratulate, again, the families and the friends who have supported all of these recruits in this journey. Thank you for all that you've done up to this point, all that you've put up with. Some of those nights have been long. I'm sure that you've been supporting them in moments where they're just not sure that this is really what they want to keep doing. Thank you for encouraging them, and thank you going forward. I wish I could tell you it was a lot easier from here on, but it's going to be a different kind of different. You're going to be celebrating Thanksgiving on Tuesdays or other days. You're going to be explaining that Santa's running late this year, and that's why Christmas is on the 26th or the 27th. You'll be having belated celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries. That's what comes from loving a member of the Denver Police Department. Thank you in advance for the fortitude and the strength that you show to you and your families while you're watching something unfold on television. And you don't know if your son, your daughter, your husband, your wife is in the middle of that, because you can't tell. And all of your thoughts race, and you get that stomach tightening. Thank you for those hours of unsettled sleep that you will have, and you will have many of them as you're waiting to hear that door close as they make it home from their shift. You all are making a tremendous sacrifice, and we thank you in advance for that. I want to remind you, you've had the benefit of going through the Spouses Academy or the Family Academy. And you've hopefully connected with some people who are in the same position that you are. Rely on those folks. They understand what you're going through, and they will be your strength. Rely on the rest of us as part of your Denver Safety family. We have the sheriff. We've got the fire department represented here. We have 911. We have all the folks in our office. We all stand with you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I also want to, before I forget, thank the members of the Civil Service Commission, the director of the Civil Service Commission, and the staff of the Civil Service Commission, who have gone through a lot of work to make sure that all of you made it here today. I also want to thank the Academy staff for the ever-changing demands that we have placed upon you. Thank you for your ability to pivot at a moment's notice, to change a training, to address something new. Thank you all for that. Each and every one of you recruit officers will benefit from the hours and hours that have been put into what it takes to be a Denver police officer. Now, thanks to each and every one of you for making this choice, for putting others before yourselves. That's a commitment very few people are willing to make. We appreciate that. We understand what that means, especially at this time when the world is a very crazy mixed up place, when it's harder than ever to be a police officer. Thank you for stepping up to the challenge. Thank you for being part of the change and saying, I want to represent police. I want to be the face of the police. More is expected of you, both on and off the job. Be an example, both on and off the job. Because even when you're home, even when you're at the grocery store, even when you're at the sideline of your kids' soccer games or at the basketball court, people are going to know you're a Denver police officer and they're going to expect more from you. In a few moments you're going to be placing a badge upon you. Every single day when you wear that badge, please look at that badge and reflect on all that that represents all of the training, the dignity that comes with putting that badge on, the honor. And think of all of those who have gone before you, all of those who have worn that badge of a Denver police officer before you, all of the work that they have done to keep this community safe. Some of them have made the absolute sacrifice and the ultimate sacrifice by wearing that badge. Wear that with honor. Take care of each other as you go forward. Continue to continue putting others before yourselves and you will have a very successful career. Take care of yourselves, be safe and may God bless you. Thank you. Thank you, Chief Deputy Dulaki. And now Chief Thomas would like to share his words of encouragement with the graduating recruit officers. Good afternoon. My goodness, it's great to see so many people out here to celebrate this occasion. I want to start off by thanking the friends and family of these graduates. Thank you for supporting your loved ones through this challenging process and welcome to our family. When I say welcome to our family, I'm referencing the care and comfort and support that you can count on for me and every member of this department from now on. Particularly, I want to thank our terrific Academy staff and guest presenters for providing truly first-class training to ensure that these 42 Denver Police officers are best equipped to safely serve, not to the graduates. This is an exciting day, not just for you, but for our department and for the city. We are excited for you to join the ranks as officers helping to keep Denver's residents safe and build trust in all communities. As newly appointed officers, you are ambassadors for Denver and for the Denver Police Department. So understand that every interaction that you have directly impacts how we as a department and as a city are perceived. To have positive outcomes, you must engage with those we serve with fairness, dignity, and transparency. By allowing community members to be heard explaining the why of your decisions, showing respect, and being fair, we can increase trust and enhance relationships. Remember your training to ensure your safety along with that of the public, but understand that we are given the authority by those we serve, and we must remember that each time we interact with our community. Congratulations on your graduation. Thank you again for signing up to do a job that can be very challenging, but gives you an opportunity every day to make a positive difference in our community. And lastly, understand that there's still work to do. I'm expecting that you honor your responsibility and recognize that trust is only earned through fairness and respect. Thank you. Thank you, Chief Thomas. We have several awards for outstanding achievement to present today. And the Director of Training, Lieutenant Michelle Fulmer and Class Supervisor, Sergeant Virginia Quinones, will now present those awards. Good afternoon, and thank you for being here today to share in this extremely special and happy day. My name is Michelle Fulmer, and I am the Director of Training here at the Denver Police Academy. First, I want to acknowledge all the outstanding work that our Academy staff and our professional staff have performed. I also want to thank all of you, the family and friends for all the love, support, and encouragement you have given these recruits over the last six months. In just a few short minutes, these recruits will be sworn into officers and receive their badge. Behind me on this wall is that same badge, and every point on it has a meaning. Honesty, temperance, faith, charity, hope, fortitude, and integrity. Every day they looked at this badge, and now they will go forth with those same principles which are woven into it as they serve and protect our community. Thank you to you all, to our esteemed guests, and congratulations, 2021. Before we present the awards for our top recruits, I want to introduce our recruit class Sergeant Virginia Quinones. Good afternoon. I am honored to be speaking on behalf of Recruit Class 2021. I would like to thank the dignitaries as well as the department personnel who took this time out of their busy schedules to celebrate our accomplishments. To the family, loved ones, friends of our recruits, thank you. Thank you for taking this journey with us. It has been a long six months, not only for them, but for you as well. To Class 2021, I say thank you. Thank you for pursuing this career during a time that some may not be quite so eager to be one of the ones to put on this uniform and a badge. I would like to say, hold your head high, be proud as you take the oath to protect and serve the citizens within your community. You have developed bonds, friendships over the last six months with your fellow recruits, cherish the time spent, do not lose those connections. Go out and represent not only us, the Denver Police Department, but officers everywhere to the highest of standards. And you may you always have that same pride over the years that I have carried with me for the many years that I have been on this department. Be the officer that you want showing up on the doorstep of your family or your loved one. God bless and be safe always. And at this time, I'd like to introduce Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and invite her to the stage to present the award for the highest score on our law test. Thank you and welcome everyone. This is a great full house today and I am honored to be part of this ceremony honoring our brand new Denver Police officers. I'm Beth McCann. I'm the District Attorney here in Denver and we enjoy a close working relationship with the Denver Police Department. You know, public safety is one of the most important, if not the most important function of government. People cannot be successful unless they feel safe in their communities. And we look to our Denver Police officers to keep us safe and to keep people obeying the law. Speaking of the law, that's kind of my realm. And one of the things that I always find interesting is that these young people, most of them are young, have spent six months learning not only how to drive those police cars and how to shoot accurately, how to make arrests, how to conduct searches, but we also kind of expect them to be lawyers too. They have to make some split second decisions when they're out responding to calls. Do I have enough probable cause to arrest this person? Is there enough that I can do a search incident to an arrest? Are there exigent circumstances that allow me to go into someone's house and conduct a search? Can I stop that car? Is there probable cause for traffic violation? These are all things that they have to decide out there on the street, and they don't usually have time to call my office and say, do I have enough? They have to decide. And we of course are honored to be part of the training academy. The attorneys from my office come out and spend a lot of time talking with these recruits about what the constraints of the Constitution are and of our statutory laws here in Colorado. Something they do out there every day on the street may result in their being called to testify in court. That's a stressful experience, but we try to work with officers to help them through that kind of process if they end up being witnesses to crime. It's a tough job. It's a tough job overall, but particularly right now, when there is so much scrutiny of criminal justice, of police officers locally and nationally. So we are very grateful that you have dedicated your lives and your careers to helping keep this community safe and to the families and friends who are willing to support and be with them as they embark on this exciting and challenging profession. I think you will find that the Denver Police Department has a reputation nationally for being an excellent department, innovative and creative, and also very committed to this community of Denver. So when we look at this recruit class, as we educate them in the law, we also give them tests about law. And so it is my honor to be able to present the award for the number one rank in legal education in the Academy to Samuel Sarpong. Yes, I'm going to read this plaque that we are presenting to him from the Denver District Attorney's Office. Samuel Sarpong, Basic Recruit Class 22-1, number one rank in legal education. In recognition of your outstanding performance in the District Attorney's legal education course, congratulations on a job very well done. Have a great career, and it's signed by me and my two assistant district attorneys, so congratulations. Now we'd like to present the DPD Academy Awards. The first award is the Academic Award. This award goes to the recruit that scored the highest on academic scores. For Class 22-1, the academic award goes to Jeffrey Rickard. The second award is the Overall Skills Award. This award goes to the recruit that demonstrated top performance in arrest control, driving, scenarios, and firearms. For Class 22-1, the Overall Skills Award goes to Mark Luca Conley. Congratulations. The third and final award is the Most Inspirational Recruit Award. This is a special award because it is voted upon by their class. The awardee is a person who motivates others emotionally, physically, and mentally. This person inspires others to do their best and goes above and beyond to help those who are struggling. Class 22-1 has voted that the Most Inspirational Recruit Award goes to Earl Carr. Congratulations. Class 22-1 has also chosen a spokesperson to speak on behalf of their class. Claire Hammack, please come to the stage. Good afternoon. I'm honored to be speaking on behalf of Recruit Class 22-1. I would like to thank the dignitaries as well as department personnel who took the time out of their busy schedules to celebrate our accomplishments. I would also like to thank all of our friends and families who are here today. Your continuing support over the past six months was instrumental in our success and our ability to make it through the Denver Police Department. To the Academy staff from the class of many firsts, thank you. I had the privilege of working at the Academy as the cadet about a year ago. I was able to see all of the hard work each instructor puts in behind the scenes. Being a Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal, Technician, Instructor, Executive Assistant, or Cadet at the Academy is not easy. You all spend early mornings, late nights, weekends, and vacation days ensuring we are given the best training and education possible. Each of you bring relentless devotion and dedication to the Academy that helps this place run like a well-oiled machine. All of your hard work has not gone unnoticed nor has it gone unappreciated. The advice and diverse perspectives given to us by each of you are something we will always carry. On April 25th, class 221 showed up to the Academy. Most of us in suits, others in polos, unaware of what the next six months would bring. Throughout the Academy, we were told by the instructors and technicians that the information we received in the Academy would be like drinking from a fire hose. This would prove to be a massive understatement. We were not only taught the tools to be effective Denver Police officers, but also taught the invaluable life skills that will impact us forever. In addition, we learned a lot about ourselves and each other. We learned that teamwork makes the dream work. We learned that our mind and body can handle more than we think it can. We are still learning to enter in our tele-staff correctly to avoid being on the tele-staff naughty list. But most importantly, we learned that being a police officer is not a nine-to-five job, but a lifestyle, requiring daily sacrifice and dedication. Each and every one of us is now a part of a family, a family that is there when we need them the most. Halfway through the Academy, Lieutenant Fulmer had us right on our whiteboard in the classroom, be the officer you want to become now. While this looks different for each of us, it served as motivation to be the best version of ourselves. We found ourselves united in one common goal of bettering and serving our community. We are not blind to the tensions within our community and are eager to rebuild our partnerships and trust through proactive community policing. In the words of Maya Angelou, people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. To my fellow classmates, we have been through a lot, blood, sweat, tears, and taco sauce. Through all of that, we have flourished as individuals and have created unique bonds and friendships. Thanks to all of you for making this a truly unforgettable journey. Graduating from the Denver Police Academy is a huge accomplishment, but it does not stop here. This is just the beginning. And remember, be good, not lucky. Now, with the assistance of Chief Deputy Director Dulaki and Chief Thomas, we will begin our graduation badge and certificate presentations. Jeffrey Thomas Rickard II, Badge 22001. Samuel Jose Sarpong, Badge 22002. Keaton Lee Ladner, Badge 22003. Claire Elizabeth Hammack, Badge 22004. Kirk Braden Malone, Badge 22005. Mark Luca Christian Connolly, Badge 22006. Anthony Carr III, Badge 21082. Anthony Garcia, Badge 22007. Joshua Alexander Kaiser, Badge 22008. Chance Wayne Ward, Badge 22009. Mitchell Gareth Roberts, Badge 22010. Timothy Greg Sullivan, Badge 22011. Alexis Marie Virella, Badge 22012. Daniel Riley Dawkin, Badge 22013. Ile Joseph Tennyson, Badge 22014. Trevor James Zaylor, Badge 22015. Tristan Sunder, Badge 22016. Lenea Chatorra Branch, Badge 22017. DeMarco Lee Mills, Badge 22018. Carolyn Summer Kunkel, Badge 22019. Adam Taylor Notha, Badge 22020. Austin James Pulford, Badge 22021. Jory Seiler, Badge 22022. Janice Jamera Hernandez, Badge 22023. Tanner Scott Mielenko, Badge 22024. Tijay Amani Orendorf, Badge 22025. Patrick John O'Connor, Badge 22026. Ashton Michael Nicholas, Badge 22027. Parker Elwood Houston Chase, Badge 22028. Mariahs Isaiah Shuri, Badge 22029. Lauren Celeste Flores, Badge 22030. Alexandra Castro, Badge 22031. Arnold Macedo, Badge 22032. Alec Joseph Holguin, Badge 22033. Josiah Francisco Jordan Huiza, Badge 22034. Matthew Martin Knuth, Badge 22035. Parker Blake Wooden, Badge 22036. Denise Cardosa, Badge 22037. Kendall Jeffrey Albert, Badge 22038. Alan Westover, Badge 22039. Antonio Benjamin Hosendove, Badge 22040. Alexander Robinson, Badge 22041. Now, the Presiding Judge, Honorable Teresa Spahn, will administer the oath of office. It is my honor and privilege to swear you in today, and I'm going to ask that you raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, and please state your name, do solemnly swear by the ever-living God that I will support the Constitution of the United States of the state of Colorado the Charter and Ordnances of the City and County of Denver, and I will faithfully perform the duties of the Office of Police Officer of the City and County of Denver to which I've been appointed and I'm about to enter. Congratulations. Sergeant Kenyones, please remain standing for the benediction by Chaplain McGrath. Officers. Gosh, it sounds good, doesn't it? There's an old African proverb. If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together. As we close this ceremony today, I would like to recall a passage in Scripture. Moses raised his arm in prayer during a battle, and as long as hands were raised, there was victory for his people. But as Moses' arms became tired, his people lost ground in the battle. But along came Aaron and her, one on one side, the other on the other side, holding Moses' arms up so that the army could be victorious. Officers, you are not alone. Look around. You have abundant resources of people to help you run farther, as well as the vocation that you have been called to perform by God. You have the incredible resources of training officers, the command staff, your peers to be with you. And you have the Heavenly Father who always holds your arms up with you. To this end, Heavenly Father, we ask your abundant blessing upon these new officers, their families, and all gathered in this place. Keep us safe in all that we do, and we say amen. Amen. Pardon me? Okay. All right. Thank you, Chaplain McGrath. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Please join us in congratulating again these officers with the well-deserved round of applause. Thank you all for joining us today. Please remain at your seats until the new officers have left the auditorium.