Wilmington Police Department welcomes new officers

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A new class of Wilmington Police Officers were sworn in Friday after completing basic law enforcement training.

14 new officers are officially joining the force in Wilmington.

The recruits were sworn in during a ceremony at the Wilmington Convention Center, where family and friends gathered to watch them take the oath.

After completing 22 weeks of basic training, Wilmington Police Chief Ryan Zuidema told the graduates their real training is just beginning and will continue throughout their careers.

Several members of the class also received special awards during the ceremony, and loved ones had the honor of pinning badges onto the new officers.

One of the new officers, Lee Marshall, says the entire class worked hard to reach this moment and that she’s ready to keep learning and growing every day on the job.

“All of us as a class we put in the hard work and dedication, and I’m blessed and grateful and very appreciative to be a part of the Wilmington Police Department. I think that I’m always going to continue to learn and grow and evolve and be a better police officer every day,” said Marshall.

During those 22 weeks, recruits completed rigorous physical training, along with extensive classroom and academic instruction, in order to successfully graduate from the law enforcement program at Cape Fear Community College.