By: Nicole Acker

Menlo Park welcomes its newest police employees, Officer James Walbridge and Officer Alicia Fajardo. Both graduated Thursday, Mar. 16, from the College of San Mateo police academy. The two started as police recruits in September 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 Mar. 20 paired with police corporals who will be their field-training officers for the next several months. Of a special note, at the academy graduation, Commander Dave Bertini received the "Outstanding Instructor” award from the academy class in recognition for being the most effective instructor throughout the academy. He is a certified instructor for the academy and teaches a myriad of different subjects including: search and seizure, laws of arrest, interrogation, in progress crimes and emergency preparedness.

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.