Nine Oregon State Police (OSP) recruit troopers along with 29 recruit officers from other law enforcement agencies, including the oldest student to attend and graduate from the course, are graduating Friday, December 13, 2013, from the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Basic Police training program. The graduation ceremony for the Basic Police Class 339 will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the Oregon Public Safety Academy located at 4190 Aumsville Highway in Salem. The thirty-eight (38) recruit graduating officers include 9 OSP recruit troopers, 15 city police recruit officers, 11 county sheriffs recruit deputies, 2 tribal law enforcement recruit officers, and the elected Klamath County Sheriff. According to Eriks Gabliks, DPSST director, at age 71, Sheriff Frank Skrah is the oldest student to attend and graduate from the Basic Police Course. Sheriff Skrah was selected by his classmates to speak on behalf of the class at the graduation ceremony that marks the successful completion of the 16-week training program for Basic Police Class 339. The OSP recruit troopers scheduled for assignments on the Oregon Coast include: * Recruit Trooper Candyce Fiddy – Florence Work Site office (Patrol Services Division); * Recruit Trooper Rodney Thomas II – Tillamook Work Site office (Fish & Wildlife Division); * Recruit Trooper Dean Trent – Gold Beach Work Site office (Patrol Services Division). The graduating OSP recruit troopers began their academy-based training July 20, 2013, when they reported for an initial 4-week OSP pre-academy training program. They then joined other law enforcement recruit officers for the 16-week Basic Police training program from which they are graduating. The OSP recruit troopers will report for a brief period of field training at their assigned offices and then return back to DPSST in February 2014 for a six-week of OSP Post-Academy training program. The Basic Police Class No. 339 graduation ceremony marked the completion of the Basic Police training for the multi-agency integrated class facilitated by DPSST, which provides statutorily-required basic training to newly hired city police officers, county sheriff’s deputies and OSP troopers. Anyone interested in future potential hiring opportunities to become an Oregon State Police Trooper may obtain more information at the OSP recruiting website, www.osptrooper.com, or call the OSP Training / Sworn Applicant Processing Section at (503) 378-4175.
