Roanoke County justice academy holds graduation for first class

March 15, 2008 | Virginia News

Ten recruits were part of the first class.

After 21 weeks of grueling training and class work, the 10 recruits from the Roanoke County Criminal Justice Academy were finally sworn in Friday night as Roanoke County police officers.

They signed off as a class for the last time, shouting their motto: "As One."

To the Roanoke County officials who won the battle last year to form the new academy, the class will always be "the one" -- the first to graduate.

For years, county officers had trained at the Roanoke police academy in the Jefferson Center. But when the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office pulled out of the regional Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy last year, they and the county police formed the new academy.

While the county police department's split from the city academy was amicable, the departure of the sheriff's office from Cardinal was not.

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