(photo gallery) The Lakewood Police Department would like to congratulate and welcome our newest recruits to our law enforcement family. Officers James Mahecha, Christopher R. Garrestson, Joseph M. Hans, Daniel J. Spagnuolo, Nicholas J. Romeo, Michael R. Grant, and Gary R. Weaver III, are graduating this afternoon, in the presence of family and friends at Ocean County College.
All were members of the Ocean County Police Academy Recruit Class 105 and have satisfactorily completed the rigorous 24 weeks of Basic Course For Police Officers training as prescribed by the Police Training Commission.
Upon their return to Lakewood Police Department the new officers (trainee) will receive In-service training prior to solo- patrol. They will take part in our 18 weeks of Field Training & Evaluation Program that has been designed to augment the basic training courses taught at the police academy. After this training has been successfully completed, the newly hired officer will have obtained the necessary instructions and guidance under field conditions to meet the minimum standards of the department.