Menlo Park welcomes its newest police employees, Officer Galen Fliege and Officer Candace Cook. Both graduated Tuesday, Aug. 16, from the College of San Mateo police academy. The two started as police recruits in March 2016 and successfully completed six months of intensive police training, which consisted of written and physical abilities tests. They will begin their field-training program the week of Aug. 22 paired with police corporals who will be their field-training officers for the next several months. Officer Fliege is also commended for graduating top of his academy class earning recognition for “Top Recruit” for his academic and physical achievements as first in ranking in the class overall.

The California Commission on Peace Officers Standards (POST) requires police officers to receive initial foundation training and information on specific topics. This curriculum consists of 42 individual topics, called learning domains. The 888 hours of training that these officers received include leadership, professionalism, ethics, criminal law, laws of arrest, report writing, emergency preparedness, etc. The hands-on experience included weapons training, role-play scenarios, patrol procedures, emergency vehicle operations and arrest and control techniques.