BROKEN ARROW - Five new recruits were sworn in as Broken Arrow police officers Thursday evening.
"They are getting ready to go on the adventure of their life," Officer Gene Orr told an audience of family members, city officials and law enforcement officers from several agencies who came to watch the newest class graduate from the police academy.
The addition of Officers Jonathon Chisum, Michael Ferguson, Mark Jennings, Christian Portiss and Zachary Vick to the force brings the city's number of sworn police officers to 126, Maj. Mark Irwin said.
The department has not laid off officers in recent years, although a city hiring freeze had kept the force from replacing officers who retired, Irwin said.
But academies are being held yearly now, with the previous one graduating 11 officers and an upcoming one to start in early 2014.
The department's authorized strength is 130 officers, but two retirements and the military deployment of two cadets kept the force below that number this year, Irwin said.
Mayor Craig Thurmond told the officers they will now be serving in one of the finest departments in the country.
"As citizens of Broken Arrow, we know that you have our backs," he said.
City Manager Thom Moton told the officers and the audience that Broken Arrow is one of the safest communities in the country.
"We can be proud of that," he said.
Police Chief David Boggs read passages of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and told the officers to remember who they serve.
"Your badge is a gift from our community," he said.
The graduation program included a video of moments - some of them humorous - from the new officers' 23 weeks of training, including their reactions when a stun gun was used on them, sequences of mock car chases and footage of shooting practice.
Portiss said he is "elated" to be part of the force.
"It's been a long six months, but it's worth it," he said.
The new officer said he chose the Broken Arrow Police Department instead of a larger force because of the smaller community.
"I wanted to be in a place where I wasn't just a number," Portiss said.
Ferguson, a Broken Arrow native, also used the term "elated" to describe his feelings. Ferguson's father is a sergeant on the police force.
"I grew up at the department," he said. "I'm looking forward to just being able to help."
The new officers will begin three months of field training before they start patrolling on their own.
Nour Habib 918-581-8369
nour.habib@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Broken Arrow adds 5 new police officers to force
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