Almost 30 law enforcement officers are set to graduate from the Public Safety Training Academy today. Among the graduates are seven State Troopers, six Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs), and two Nome police officers.
Hoang Le and Justin Stein are slated to join the ranks of the Nome Police Department after completing more than a thousand hours of training over a 15-week period. As academy students, both Le and Stein were instructed in physical fitness, scenario-based exercises, and other topics to prepare entry-level law enforcement officers.
Also graduating from the academy are three VPSOs who will be serving the Northwest Arctic Borough, including Ryan Hellman, Justin Lantier-Novelli, and Brandon Murphy. The Association of Village Council Presidents has its own VPSO academy graduate as well, Hank Uttereyuk.
The graduation ceremony for all 27 students will take place in Sitka at 1pm. Alaska State Troopers will also live stream the event on Facebook.
Image at top: Matthew F. Smith, KNOM file.
