Meet the newest members of the West Memphis ‘blue crew’

Meet the newest members of the West Memphis ‘blue crew’

Police Academy graduates quartet of new officers

West Memphis Police Department On December 8, 2017, the West Memphis Police Department held its graduation ceremony for Basic Academy Class 2017-B at the Eugene Woods Civic Center, in West Memphis.

These four students completed fifteen weeks of training during their time in the academy. Academy students received instruction in a variety of subjects which included: community outreach, Arkansas law, juvenile law, medical and first aid, courtroom testimony, firearms, de-escalation techniques and less-lethal alternatives, officer safety, and a variety of other topics. The recruits received 600 hours of training from twenty-five different instructors. Sergeant Richard Dennis and Officer Drew Skaggs led this training program.

The graduates were Officer Prince Bohannon III, Officer Kacy Morgan, Officer Amberly Mullen, and Officer Chad Rash. West Memphis Police Chief Donald Oakes was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony. Officer Prince Bohanon III received the Academic Award and the Fitness Award, and Officer Chad Rash received the Firearms Award.

Captain Robert Langston, who commands the Training Division said, “This was our third basic academy class since we resumed our academy in 2016. By conducting our own academy it allows these recruits to shadow our patrol officers on shift and to attend numerous community outreach events. It also enables the recruits to understand the culture that we instill in all of our employees and the high expectations that we have of our police officers.”

The West Memphis Police Department is now accepting applications for their next academy class which is scheduled to begin in February 2018.

From Capt. Robert Langston