 Good morning and welcome. My name is Kirk Barnes. I'm with the Denver Police Department Media Relations Unit and behalf of Police Chief Paul Payson, I welcome each of you to this graduation ceremony. Several months ago these 36 men and women entered this building as aspiring police officers and one Arson investigator with the Denver Fire Department and over the course of 26 weeks, the dedicated staff here at the Denver Police Training Bureau have prepared these recruit officers to now go into 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 21-1. This time please remain standing 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 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 Erika Fletchinger. Good morning. I would like to invite you all to join me in prayer. Father God, we thank you for allowing us to come together today to congratulate these 37 men and women as they become officers for our Denver Police Department. We give thanks for the endurance of these individuals maintained through the Academy and for all the people that have supported and sacrificed on their journey to becoming officers. Thank you for the Academy staff and the instructors who dedicated themselves to teaching and for your faith in these officers. We stand before you Lord knowing these officers are ready and willing to do your work. We ask you to give these individuals courage to conquer fears, strength of body to protect others, and strength of spirit and integrity to lead others. We ask for them to have dedication to their job to do it well and dedication to our community to keep it safe. May you use them as the sword or the shield and give them compassion for those who need them. Lord, most of all, we ask that you be beside these men and women as they serve. Amen. Again, on behalf of the Denver Police Department and Recruit Class 21-1, welcome. This is a long-awaited moment for our 36 officers and one arson investigator, and we thank you for being here to celebrate this accomplishment with them. At this time, I'll invite Mayor Hancock to address the graduating class. Thank you, Officer Barnes, and good morning to everyone. If I can just take a moment of executive privilege, Chief was just sharing with me that two of our long-term officers who serve as commanders will be leaving us soon in the highlight of their careers to have the highlight of their lives, Commander Fontaine and Commander Fleece, and for over 30 years of service to the people of this great city. I think we owe you all, both of you, a debt of gratitude. Please stand and just to be acknowledged. Thank you for your service. Tremendous. What a tremendous, tremendous loss for the department to have those two long-serving officers, phenomenal officers. I've been honored to work with both of them over the years, and now we send them off to the greatness of time with their families, and I'm sure your families and your spouses are happy to get you at half your salary. Congratulations. I am really honored to be here today, and I want to thank all of you for being here, all the dignitaries who are here as well. I always start with acknowledging our family members, whether you are a partner or spouse, a sibling, a parent, an uncle or grandparent. We owe you a debt of gratitude. These men and women who are about to be pinned with the greatest honor of serving our community are here because you gave them support and encouragement, and helping them get through the difficulties, the challenges of the academy is nothing compared to what they're going to need you to help them get through every day when they serve the people on the streets of our city. So we stop, pause for a moment to say thank you to you because you too should be proud of this moment and be proud that you helped make this moment possible. I've had the honor of speaking before this academy while they were in class. Chief Payson asked me to go and visit with the academy, and we had a great conversation for about 45 minutes. In this class, we have men and women who are former members of the U.S. Armed Services. We have men and women who have worked professionally in many other industries, even if I remember correctly, a former UFC fighter is in this class somewhere. He was actually quite menacing when I was talking to the class. But during the visit, I asked him a question, why are you here? And it was during that question session that you get the most revealing parts of the souls of the men and women who are about to be badged. Almost 100% of them said I'm here because I want to serve my community. I want to make it better. I want to get back. I have an enthusiasm for law enforcement and I have an enthusiasm for living in a great city. So no matter where they came from and they came from all places in the U.S., there are some native Denverites in this class. They had a passion for making Denver a great city. And so as I always do, my is give a message to the class as they prepare to go and serve. And that is number one, don't lose that passion. The same passion you held the day that we talked, the same passion and energy and enthusiasm you held today, we ask you to hold it every day of your service to the people of Denver. And when you slip and feel like I'm losing a little bit of that energy, I want you to think back on this moment and your Academy class to find the bucket of fuel to reenergize yourselves. And to ask yourselves the question again, why am I here? The second thing that I share with every class is the bad you're about to receive is not your possession. It is loaned to you on behalf of the people of this city. It is an honor, a privilege for you to wear it. The people of Denver are placing their highest faith in you to serve and to protect. That is a covenant that should never be sacrificed or cracked. It's a covenant that comes with the highest level of trust from the people. It's their badge. And they're given to you just like they gave it to commanders, fontaine and fleece for over 30 years. Don't ever, ever become larger than that badge. Or think of yourself larger than that badge. You have earned this privilege. You have earned this opportunity. And on behalf of the people of this great city and the authority that they've vested in me, I congratulate you. And the final message is simply this. We invoke the power of God to cover you every day of your service. May he make sure that you return home safely every day to your family. Keep that faith. Keep that strength. Hold on to the covenant that you have with the people in that badge and know that we honor your service. They are more people with you than there are those who are against you. God bless you. God cover you and God keep you. Congratulations class of 2021. One. Thank you, Mayor Hancock. I'll now ask Deputy Director of the Department of Safety, Mary Dulaki for a few words. Good morning. Thank you. First of all, I want to extend my sincere personal appreciation to the Academy staff. I had an opportunity earlier today to spend a few moments with them. The men and women under Lieutenant Bowser's command at this Academy have busted themselves to get you here today. They have worked weekends. They have worked tirelessly. They are so committed to making sure that the individuals that are sent out on the streets next week are able to do the job. And I want to personally thank every single one of you for taking the extraordinary measures that you have. We're constantly demanding more and more from the Academy. I'm giving you less and less to do it with. I know that you're short staffed. I know that there's a number of challenges, but you've met those challenges. And so to Lieutenant Bowser and the rest of the Academy staff, thank you personally. I'm here on behalf of the Executive Director, Murphy Robinson, who sends his regrets that he can't be here because he is a very powerful speaker and he always energizes these events. And he loves to be here and welcome you here. On behalf of him, I want you to know that you are welcomed into the family of safety. The Department of Safety is a family. You already have one of your family members within this larger group. You've got a fire arson investigator here. But we're a large family and we support each other because whether you wear a badge or whether you're operating out of an office in a civilian capacity, each and every one of us appreciates the job that those of you who wear the badge are out there doing in our behalf. So thank you and welcome to this family. I want to also briefly address following up on what the mayor said. The families and the friends and the support that everyone has given to these Academy graduates. You all did a lot before they even made the choice to take on this job and to tackle this task. What you have given is a gift to all of us. You've given a gift of service, a gift that says I am going to put my life on the line for others. I am going to dedicate my life in service to others. You all made a lot of sacrifice over the last few months while these folks were working tirelessly, coming home sore, cranky, having to go back and study and we thank you for all of the accommodations that you gave them. But we also have to thank you for all the accommodations you're going to make in the future. For all of the delayed holiday celebrations, the delayed birthdays, the times when people aren't going to be there at the softball game or the soccer game, the times when Christmas might be celebrated on a different day than December the 25th. Thank you in advance for that. Thank you in advance for the support you're going to give them when they come home and share with you some of the brutal realities of their day. Thank you for the understanding as you listen to them and thank you for the understanding that you'll have when there are times that they just can't share that with you. Thank you for loving a person with a badge, whether it's an arson investigator or a member of the Denver Police Department. Thank you each and every one of you for supporting them in this endeavor. I remember meeting you all back on that first family open house evening. We have a husband and wife who are graduating. They did this together. Pretty extraordinary. Every single one of you came from a different path. A different path led you here and you've learned a lot about your classmates. Remember that when you're out on the street, every person that you encounter has come from a different path. You're going to see people at their worst. You're going to see people who are truly doing evil things. But remember every single one of those people had a path. There are times where you won't have the opportunity to try and understand them, but there are going to be a lot of times where you will. There are going to be a lot of times where you get to talk to them, where you get to engage with them, where you get to take them out of whatever bad moment they're in. The badge that you're wearing gives you authority, but you must use that authority with respect and dignity. Lead with your heart. Lead with your humanity. You will be dealing with humans at some of their worst moments, but you will rise above that. That's what your training's about. Thank you each and every one of you for tackling a job that a lot of us never even thought of tackling, that a lot of us said, I don't want to do that. I want somebody else to do that for me. And you're taking on that responsibility at a time that has never been more challenging for those who wear the badge. I remember when I was reading some of your applications and reviewing them before we passed them on for final admittance into the academy. And several of you said that the reason you wanted to be a Denver police officer is you wanted to be part of the change that you want to see in the world. Remember how you make that change. We are so proud of you. We will be here for you. Don't be afraid to share what goes on in your head. You're going to have some real good days and you're going to have some not so good days and you're going to have some really horrific days. We have support for you. Share with your friends, your colleagues, your command. We have resources for you. Don't hesitate to use them. They will only make you stronger and better in your job. Thank you each and every one of you for the work that you've done and the work that you will continue to do. May God bless you and keep you safe. Thank you. Thank you for those kind words. And now Chief Payson would like to share a few words of encouragement for the graduating recruiting class. Welcome. Let me do one additional acknowledgement in the crowd. We have the president here of Crime Stoppers, Mike Mills. And Crime Stoppers has been invaluable to taking violent and prolific offenders off the street. They've also helped us get more illegal guns out of the hands of those that are creating harm in our community. So I wanted to acknowledge Mike's presence here. Anticipation. What a perfect day for this class to graduate. The people of Denver have been anticipating the first snowfall in this city for a long time. What I can tell you is the women and men that work in this police department, they've been anticipating your graduation for a long time. Each of you since day one when we met have been anticipating this day as your family members. So I can't think of a more perfect appropriate day for this class to graduate. This truly is an exciting day and I'm excited to be able to share it with you and your loved ones. You should be very proud of yourselves because I can see from their faces the pride they have of your accomplishment. We talked about meeting on your very first day and I remember it well, very similar to what the executive director of public safety, deputy director, and the mayor spoke of. I asked why and six months ago we were in a very different place than where we are today and to a person I heard amazing answers. I heard that you wanted to make a difference. I heard that you wanted to make the community safer and better place and I think it was Ben who said I want to be the change that people are calling for and I started off with the real stoic face. Why would these women and men want to do this job and every answer just started growing a smile and I knew right then that this class was going to be special. That it was going to join the women and men that continue to do this very difficult work during arguably the most difficult time for someone to be in law enforcement. So anticipation, I anticipated this day for you all to graduate and I'm anticipating the type of work that you're going to do moving forward. I also want to say thank you to the family and friends of our officers. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for being with them in the future. The work doesn't stop here, the challenges don't stop here. There will be very difficult days moving forward and just as you have supported them for the last six months they will need that support in return. The academy staff has been amazing not only with this class but they have a second class that's overlapping so on top of the work that's gone into prepare each of you they're also working on a second class that will graduate in the near future and if that's not enough on Monday we will have 38 women and men walking into these doors. So to the academy staff thank you for your continued efforts. Before you begin the next phase of your training I want to leave you with some advice from some of our current officers. First this is something that you're taught at a very young age and that is to treat people the way you would want to be treated. Next make sure that you remain true to yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for help. This is a family, this is a department that will support you and we want to make sure that even on difficult days that you get any and all assistance that you need somebody has to lead and we're asking you to lead. Lead within the communities that you serve and lastly always remember that why. Why you are here. You are here to make a difference to help people to improve your community and to be the change that people are asking for. Congratulations on this very special day. As you move forward remember treat people right and take care of yourselves. Be safe. Thank you. Thank you Chief Payson. We have several awards for outstanding achievement to present today and Director of Training Lieutenant Kimberly Bowser will present these awards now. Good morning. Part of the tradition of graduation morning is that my staff has the opportunity to pass forward words of wisdom to the new police officers here today. This morning was no exception. It's a huge honor for us to do so. But for now I'd like to address the family and friends and loved ones of the new police officers here. I want to sincerely express my gratitude to you. Not only thank you for being here but more importantly thank you for supporting these recruits for the last five and a half months. Graduating the Denver Police Academy is not easy. The curriculum is designed to be rigorous and challenging. These new officers are prepared focused and excited to begin this new journey. They would not be sitting here today without your love and support so thank you. Finally I would ask for your continued patience and grace as they move forward to the next phase of their training where they will have the opportunity to apply their newly gained knowledge and skills out in our community. So with that I'd like to begin the presentation of awards and it is my great honor to introduce to you assistant district attorney Maggie Convoy who will present the award for outstanding achievement in criminal and constitutional law. I am Maggie Convoy and as was introduced I'm one of the two assistant district attorneys at the Denver DA's office. DA Beth McCann was unable to be here today because she is out of state on business but she sends her sincere congratulations to the basic recruit recruit class 21-1. On a personal note I am quite honored to be here. We deeply value our partnership with the Denver police department and we stand shoulder to shoulder in our fight to hold those accountable who harm or threaten the safety of the citizens of Denver. For so many of us it has become more than just a professional relationship it has become a friendship. Many many of us consider members of the DPD staff and officers in command good personal friends. I am also very honored to be presenting the award for the number one rank in legal education. Among the many rigorous requirements to become an officer the recruits must require or must attend over 20 separate legal classes taught by various members of my office rules of evidence crimes against persons and property family crimes robbery and arson it is not easy but it is important that these new officers are familiar with the laws because what they learn in the classrooms plays itself out on the streets later when they are responding to calls and at the end of all of his coursework they are required to take an examination to demonstrate what they have learned and inevitably someone gets the highest score or in this case two people and with that i am delighted to present two recruits this year with the award of number one rank in legal education and that award this year goes to officer carrion messiano and officer alissa marsolf thank you and with that our our deep deep congratulations from the office of the Denver DA to each and every one of these new officers thank you okay so now on to the academy awards the first award is for the academic award this award goes to the recruit who had the highest cumulative scores on major exams and quizzes so for class 21 one this is recruit officer jake of rist congratulations the second award is the overall skills award this award goes to the recruit who demonstrated the highest proficiency in the areas of arrest control driving scenarios and firearms for class 21 one the overall skills award goes to officer cameron veeter the third and final award is the most inspirational recruit award this is a special award because it is voted on by the class the awardee is a person who motivates others mentally or emotionally inspires others to do their best and goes above and beyond to help other recruits especially if they're struggling the class has voted most inspirational this year to go to officer erin winter congratulations class 21 one has also chosen a spokesperson officer steven watson please come up good morning short distinguished guests mayor handcock chief peasant executive director of safety deputy director of safety thank you for being here ranking members of the department thank you as well to the academy staff lieutenant bowser sergeant akita technicians district corpals thank you from class 21 one for your hard work dedication and unrelenting help in transforming us into denver police officers families and friends of class 21 one thank you for your help and flexibility over these several months and your continued support as we move into our field training program your help has been immeasurable and genuinely appreciated it's hard to believe that for some of us the road to this day actually began in 2019 prior to the pandemic causing the hiring process to grind to a slow halt all of us spent months working with the civil service commission to get that final offer letter some got there as sooner than others on june 14th we all showed up here most of us without any idea of what to expect we spent the first few weeks learning law getting to know each other and perfecting the art of the burpee the next 10 weeks were spent developing our skills learning arrest control how to shoot our service weapons and how to drive the police vehicle at 100 percent i'm still sorry about that woolly as the academy came to an end we've wrapped up with tests classes more tests a few burpee broad jumps and then a few more tests most of us came here as strangers with varying backgrounds and personalities but over these weeks we have found common ground and made friendships that will last throughout our careers we've learned how to work with one another in formidable high stress environments and how to depend on each other we've learned that in order to achieve each achieve our goals we must work together we've also learned the right reasons that let each of us to apply to the denver police department and in doing so we've heard a familiar refrain we want to make the community we live in a better place and we want to build trust between the community and the police to achieve these goals we must hold ourselves and our peers to the highest ethical standards be trustworthy and patient to class 21 one i would like to offer you two pieces of advice so that we may achieve our collective goal first surround yourselves with positive people have friends and co-workers and family who build you up help you on long days and encourage you to be a better version of yourself and on those long challenging days these people will remind you of why you're here the second is from jacob reist remember the pride you felt when you put on that uniform this morning you all know the work and sacrifice that was required to earn your place in this organization and you should be proud but remember it is a privilege and not a right to wear the badge and represent this department so hold on to that pride and if you're doubting your life choices go back to those people who lift you up in closing the past 26 weeks have been challenging but all of us have grown immeasurably and the academy and academy staff have prepared you well as you go into your careers continue to learn as much as you can say yes more than no unless it's jumping over a fence then you should say no and enjoy the ride congratulations 21-1 and thank you we're going to now move on to the presentation of our certificates for our officers jacob r reist cameron j veter christopher r thomas steven e watson brian p camosi caroline s townsend brian m murphy luke r erickson gregarie h thomas samuel w powell elissa d marsoff jessica n rukowski erin winter joshua a geonati carissa rojas hailey b landwear heraldo arojo vialobos antonio j vehill carrie n missiano elissa v presciato ojeda tien m trung nam d win kevin m samuels laura k woley michelle c night samuel p ambrose trevon d more samuel c johnson matthew w jacob's sebastian pares santos emily l elliott erin escalante monique a cabrera emet e herd jonathan j cabrera delion venessa sanchez tristan j helleburton my name is james zobel and i am a judge in denver county court and let me just say on behalf of myself and the entire court i am so honored and humbled to be here today to take part in this amazing graduation ceremony thank you class of 21 one i'm going to ask all of you to please raise your right hand and repeat after me i state your name do solemnly swear by the ever living god that i will support the constitution of the united states and of the state of colorado and the charter and ordinances of the city and county of denver and that i will faithfully perform the duties of the office of police officer of the city and county of denver to which i have been appointed and upon which i am about to enter congratulations you may put your hand down you are all heroes please stand if you're able for the benediction by chaplain fletcher let us pray lord let us celebrate and fill our hearts with pride and joy as a new journey begins for these new officers let them always know they are valued they will be prayed for and for your safety and provision to be over them continue to give them wisdom in their duties and give them courage and passion for their will to serve to remain steadfast we pray that you officers will promote justice fight evil defend innocent lives and bear the weight and honor of your badge with pride lord we ask for your blessing and protection for all who are here today and that you bless these 37 men and women and your presence always be with them and bring them home safely after each shift we thank you for blessing and covering and protecting our department city and always stand for amen