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45 New Law Enforcement Officers to Graduate from South Dakota Basic Training Program

45 New Law Enforcement Officers to Graduate from South Dakota Basic Training Program

Photo: Metro Services


PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley congratulates the 45 students who graduate this Friday from the state Basic Law Enforcement Certification Course in Pierre.

“The Basic Law Enforcement Certification Course is a rigorous 13-week training where students are challenged in different areas of law enforcement,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Congratulations to the recruits who have committed themselves to serving their communities and South Dakota as law enforcement officers. We also thank their families for allowing their loved ones to serve us.”

The recruits represent 31 different state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. The certification course is required for the students to become fully qualified law enforcement officers in South Dakota.

Graduates are required to complete 520 hours of course work that includes instruction in the law, arrest control tactics, firearms, vehicle handling, and criminal investigations. The training program is taught by full-time staff from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and adjunct instructors from law enforcement agencies from across the state.

Friday’s graduation ceremony starts at 10 a.m. CST in the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre. Attorney General Jackley is the keynote speaker.

Members of the 198th Basic Law Enforcement Certification Course and their law enforcement agency are:

Clay Ambach, Pierre Police Department; Lamar Anderson, Lead Police Department; Fabian Avelar, Rapid City Police Department; Dustin Baxter, Jr., Mellette County Sheriff’s Office; Alan Blackburn, Yankton Sioux Tribe; Brandon Briseno, Jr., Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Jonathan Carlstedt, Yankton Police Department; Jake Cote, Rapid City Police Department; Darli Diaz Gonzalez, Huron Police Department; Stephanie Dockter, Rapid City Police Department; Austin Edwards, Elk Point Police Department; Jon Esmay, Murdo Police Department.

Michael Fedt, Watertown Police Department; Jonathan Fiester, Rapid City Police Department; Isabella Fills the Pipe, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Gracie Koenig, Gregory Police Department; Mariah Koenig, Vermillion Police Department; Abby Lawrence, Spearfish Police Department; W Barrett Martin, Pierre Police Department; Dusty Merchen, Belle Fourche Police Department; Lindsey Miller, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Noah Misselt, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; Caleb Misselt, Box Elder Police Department.

Caleb Mohror, Union County Sheriff’s Office; Makendra Oschsner, Brown County Sheriff’s Office; Christopher Owusu, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office; Jamie Peckenpaugh, Rapid City Police Department; Shawn Perkins, Jr., Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Steven Plank, Rosebud Game, Fish and Parks Department; Vernon Plenty Bull, Custer County Sheriff’s Office; Shanden Reiners, Mitchell Police Department; Trent Remily, Spink County Sheriff’s Office; Ramiro Romero, Mobridge Police Department; Keegan Tandy, Rapid City Police Department.

Hailey Thompson, Box Elder Police Department; Benjamin Thompson, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Police Enforcement; Jose Torres, Jr., Moody County Sheriff’s Office; Melissa Ulber, Aberdeen Police Department; Michael Volz, Mobridge Police Department; Robert Wells, Canton Police Department; Talea  Weston, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Jessup Workman, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; Trey Yellow Boy, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Ashley Yellow Bull-Mousseau, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety; Ryan Zimmerman, Faulk County Sheriff’s Office.

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