On Friday, June 29, three new officers were sworn in at the Valdosta Police Department.

Robert Smith, Shawn Luke, and Jason Louie are the newest members of Valdosta's police force.

Judge Jim Tunison led the swearing-in ceremony. The officers were joined by their families and VPD staff.

The three were hired on by VPD in March. They started the police academy just several weeks later after participating in in-service training with the VPD training division. On June 15, Smith, Luke, and Louie were certified through the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.). The group will start Field Training in one week, which usually lasts for about ten weeks. In total, the new officers will go through close to twenty-five weeks of training.

Chief Brian Childress said that this shows a lot about their character as it’s been a long and sometimes hard road to get to this point.

“Another good day for Valdosta and our community. All three of these officers were vetted through our lengthy process, we have a very rigorous recruitment process that goes through state and accreditation standards,” said Childress. “We have a really good department. That patch on their shoulders shows the reputation they have to hold, it’s a huge responsibility. I am confident they will be great additions to our team.”