Fourteen men and two women begin training for their careers with the Oregon State Police (OSP) when they are sworn in Sunday, March 16, 2014. OSP Superintendent Richard Evans will welcome the new recruit troopers during the ceremony with their family and friends present at the Oregon Public Safety Academy Hall of Heroes in Salem. The 9:00 a.m. ceremony marked the beginning of new and exciting careers for the 16 new recruit troopers selected from hundreds of applicants. They bring a vast range of life experience and backgrounds when they move into the Oregon Public Safety Academy where, over the next six months, the majority will receive extensive training to prepare them in helping keep Oregon safe for our citizens and visitors. The new group of recruits range from 21 to 45 years of age, with an average age of 33 years old. Eight served in the military, eight have a college degree including one person with a PhD in International Public Law, and four are lateral entry hires with prior law enforcement experience. Three are bilingual in Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian languages. New OSP recruit troopers go through 26 weeks of intensive academy-based training consisting of a four-week OSP pre-academy, 16 weeks of required Basic Police academy training, and six more weeks of Post Academy training. The 4 lateral entry recruit troopers are not required to attend the Basic Police Training and they will report to their assigned offices after the initial four-week OSP pre-academy training. Upon successfully completing the initial training at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, the recruit troopers are appointed to report to the following assigned OSP office locations: Recruits for the Coast: * Coos Bay Area Command office (1); * Newport Area Command office (1).
