For Immediate Release December 22, 2021
OPD NEWS:
186th Basic Recruit Academy Graduation
Today, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) welcomed 25 new officers to the OPD family, as members of the 186th Basic Recruit Academy graduated at a ceremony held at the Scottish Rite Center.
“As someone born and raised in Oakland, I truly understand how important it is for the Oakland Police Department to strengthen our relationship with the community we serve. When police departments under-invest in communities for many years, you must over-invest in the community in order to build trust,” says Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong.
Chief Armstrong was joined on stage by Oakland City Administrator Edward Reiskin, Oakland Police Commissioner Chair Regina Jackson, Assistant Chief Darren Allison, Deputy Chief Christopher Bolton, Deputy Chief Angelica Mendoza, Deputy Chief Drennon Lindsey, Acting Deputy Chief Cliff Wong, Deputy Director Kiona Suttle, and Oakland Police Officers’ Association President Sergeant Barry Donelan.
Also on stage were the Training Section Staff: Academy Director Lieutenant Bryan Hubbard, Officer Damon Gilbert, Officer Danelia Chavarria, and Officer Jeffrey Cid.
Mayor Libby Schaaf celebrated the new officers in a video presentation saying, “My heartfelt congratulations to the graduates of the 186th Oakland Police Academy! As officers, they will have the opportunity to make people feel safe, which is an incredible gift and an immense responsibility. These men and women have volunteered to join a department that's nationally recognized for progressive, constitutional policing, and I thank them for their dedication to public service.”
The 186th Academy Class is a diverse group with four Oakland residents, six females and 19 males; members of the group speak multiple languages including Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog, and Twi.
The Valedictorian for the 186th Academy is Brandon Moss. The newly sworn Police Officers are:
Jorge Aguilar, Hakim Alaoui, Julia Alarcon, Isias Alcantar, Jacqueline Alvarez, Michael Armah, Irene Arzate, Cody Burman, Jordan Bustos, Harold Cajucom, Rafael Casares, Gregory Chen, Angelo Dentoni, Marlesha Everett, Jesse Hawes, Bryan Jimenez, John Kang, Bryce Lee, John Magana, Angel Marigny, Spencer Mikell, Brandon Moss (Valedictorian), Ruby Resendiz, Raul Rodriguez, and Alberto Vazquez.
The graduates are a welcomed addition to our Oakland family and represent another step forward in our efforts to grow the Police Department and increase public safety and trust in the City of Oakland.