Twenty-Nine Recruits Graduate From Law Enforcement Academy
JUNE 7, 2023-- Twenty-nine recruits graduated from Allan Hancock College’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy on June 7 at the college’s Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc.
The graduating recruits of Class #23-125 gathered with their friends and families to celebrate the completion of more than 856 training hours required to graduate from the academy and enter careers as peace officers. Nearly all of the recruits have already been hired by Central Coast law enforcement agencies.
“When you need help, you’ll want public servants trained at Allan Hancock College to answer that call,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D.
In order to graduate, the recruits were required to successfully pass Hancock’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy. During the academy, the recruits received training in community policing, search and seizure, firearms, ethics, investigation procedures, patrol techniques, arrest and control, physical training, CPR/First Aid, emergency vehicle operations and other important skills.
“This class was full of many talented individuals,” said academy valedictorian Dyllan Smiley. “Our competitive nature as a class pushed us to succeed.”
Twenty-eight of the 29 academy graduates are now employed by local law enforcement agencies including the Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara and Santa Maria police departments, as well as the San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County sheriff’s offices.
The Class #23-125 graduates are: Jordan Ares, San Luis Obispo Police Department; Jose Blanco, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Vincente Cancino Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Justin Chacon, Santa Maria Police Department; Christian Cole, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Chad Crawford, San Luis Obispo Police Department; Matthew Dias, Santa Maria Police Department; Tyler Gray, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Brett Gregory, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; David Harmon, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Aaron Henkle, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Michael Hernandez, Paso Robles Police Department; Michael Horton, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Isiah Hughes, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Alina Kleemailer, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Julio Leyva, Atascadero Police Department; Christian Meja-Paz, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Randy Mendoza, Santa Maria Police Department; Mario Morales, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Rob Lee Nyvold II, Independent; Toby Ochoa-Casteñeda, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Robert Santana, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Dyllan Jason Smiley, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office; Michael Tapia-Chavez, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; Germain Valdez UC Santa Barbara Police Department; Elmer Vences, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office; David Villavicencio, Santa Maria Police Department; Jay T. Wells, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Fredrick Yse-Brands, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
