27 new officers sworn into Virginia Beach Police Department

STEP TOWARD FULLY STAFFING THEFORCE AS NEARLY 30 NEWOFFICE RSARE SWORN IN.

NEWSTHREE'S ANTOINETTE DELBEL HASMORE ON THE GRADUATION ANDSHARES AN IMPORTANT MESSAGEFROM THE POLICE CHIEF.(COVER W VO OF HENRY WALKING)NAT 2.40 IT'S JUST A NEWCHAPTER FOR MY LIFE, NEWCHAPTER FOR THE WHOLE CLASS 70TODAY.

ON THIS DAY -- MICHAELHENRY IS NO LONGER A RECRUITBUT ONE OF 27 NEWLY SWORNOFFICERS OF VIRGINIA BEACHMICHAEL HENRY NEW OFFICER FORVBPD 58 THIS VERY DAY IS THEBE DASTY OF MY LIFE, SO I FEELECSTATIC.

I COULD CRY RGIHTNOW I REALLY COULD AND AFT 6ERMONTHS OF TRAINING IN THEACADEMY -- THE FIRSTGENERATION LAW ENFORCEMENTOFFICER IS READY TO HIT THESTREETS.

MICHAEL HENRY NEWOFFICER FOR VBPD 1.06 MYTRAINING FROM DAY ONE, IT'SROUGH CUT TO 1.14 YOURCLASSMATES BECOME BROTHERS ANDSISTERS, AND YOU BECOME ONE,ONE TEAM.

IT'S ONE MISSION ANDTHIS WE FOUGHT FOR TODAY.TODAY WAS THE GOAL BUT THE JOBWILL BE NO EASY TASK HENRYONE OF TWO BLACK OFFICERSTAKING THE OATH OF HONORFRIDAY WILL FACE ACHALLENGING TIME IN POLICINGWITH OFFICERS UNDER CONSTANTSCRUTINY SURROUNDING POLICEBRUTALITY AND REBUILDING TRUSTIN THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.MIHCAEL HENRY 1.52 WHY DOTHIS?

THIS WAS A CHALLENGE FORME, IT REALLY WAS 2.26 ITSTARTS WITH NEUTRALITY.

1.50TALK TO FOLKS IN YOURCOMMUNITY, TRY TO GET ANUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOINGON, HOW CAN I HELP.

I THINKTHAT'S THE FIRST STEPRECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AREALSO CHALLENGES FACING POLICEDEPARTMENTS ACROSS THECOUNTRY.

POLICE CHIEF PAULNEUDIGATE SAYING BEFORE TODAYHE WAS DOWN 120 OFFICERS--ABOUT 14 PERCENT OF HISFORCE.

POLICE CHIEF PAULNEUDIGATE 4.58 IT LOOKS VPROMISING THAT WE WILL HAVEANOTHER 60 QUALIFIED RECRUTSTO START JAN 2022.

SO IT'SSTILL GOING TO TAKE US SOMETE IMTO OVERCOME THE SIGSTAFFING CHALLENGES WE FACEBUT HOPE IS ON THE HORIZON.THE CHIEF FRIDAY LEAVING THENEW OFFICERS WITH SOUND VIADCEREMAIN TRANSPARENT,ACCOUNTABLE AND SERVE WITHINTEGRITY.

VOWS HENRY SAYSHE'LL LIVE BY EVERY TIME HEPUTS ON THE UNIFORM.

2:17 THISDEPARTMENT, IT'S NOT JUST AJOB IT'S A CAREER, IT'S AFAMILY, AND ATTH'S WHY I'MHERE I'M HERE TO SERVE ANDPROTECT, AND I CAN'T WAIT TOHIT THE STREET AND GETRUNNING.

NAT 43 FACE!

LADIESAND GENT I PRESENT..OF THE70 POLICE ACADEMY ANNIE 3:08THE TRAININGOR F THESE NEWLYSWORN OFFICERS IS NOT OVERYET, THELLY' NOW BE WORKINGTHE STREETS WITH A FIELDTRAINING OFFICER, AND AFTERTHREE MONTHS, THEY'LL BE ONTHEIR OWN.

IN VB, AD NEWS 3POLICE CHIEF NEUDIGATE SAYSTHE NEW ACADEMY CLASS WILLSTART WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERALDAYS.NEW