CSPD gets influx of manpower Thursday

The Colorado Springs Police Department welcomed 44 new officers into its ranks Thursday.

The officers are graduates of the department’s 63rd academy class. They received their badges during a ceremony at Village Seven Presbyterian Church.

This class of recruits may not be what you’d normally expect. They’re older, between the ages of 23 and 48. Many have previously worked for large city police departments or have military experience, so many situations won’t be new to them.

“Remember how hard you worked to get here and enjoy how good it feels today,” said police Chief Pete Carey. “Don’t do anything on or off the job to damage the department’s reputation.”

The police department now has 671 sworn officers.