DeKalb County swears in 13 new officers at Police Academy Class 144 graduation

Thirteen recruits completed DeKalb County Police Academy Class 144 and were sworn in at a graduation ceremony held at Rehoboth Baptist Church; the transcript does not specify the ceremony date. The recruits received badges and individual awards and repeated the oath administered by Judge McCoy.

The DeKalb County Chief of Police told the class that the badge is “not a symbol of authority alone. It is a symbol of trust,” and urged graduates to pair new tools and technology with integrity, good judgment and compassion. CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson welcomed the graduates and framed the county’s approach as inclusive, saying, “I draw circles of inclusion and not lines of division.” She told the audience that 13 recruits finished the program after 20 started and credited recent investments with helping public safety efforts.

“Last year, I invested during my first year in office more than $30 million in crime prevention technology, cameras, drones, license plate readers,” Cochran-Johnson said, adding that county crime figures are down "15% in violent crimes, down 25% in property crimes." The remarks were presented as statements by the CEO in the ceremony transcript and are reported here as such.

Lead instructor Williams and academy staff described the six-month (27-week) training cycle that combined classroom work, defensive tactics, range time and scenario-based exercises. The academy’s completion was certified as meeting the training mandated by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, the presenter said.

Class leader Recruit Brett Roseborough reflected on the recruits’ shared experience and urged graduates to continue learning and supporting one another. “Graduating from your academy does not make you a police officer. It gives you the opportunity to become one,” Roseborough said.

Awards presented included firearms (runner-up Brett Roseborough, average 94.3; winner Luke Peyton, average 97.2), academic (winner Malik Long; runner-up Avery Harris), spirit of the class (Bryce Jefferson) and the Instructor’s Choice award (Brett Roseborough). Family members and department personnel pinned badges for named recruits including Dylan Dennis, Phoenix Eaton Fontaine, Avery Harris, Cayenne Hayes, Bryce Jefferson, DeShawn Johnson, Malik Long, Luke Peyton, Stevens Rentis, Brett Roseborough, Lashawn Royal and Shang Show.

Judge McCoy administered the oath that pledges support for the constitutions of the United States and Georgia and to faithfully perform the duties of the office. The ceremony closed with a benediction by Chaplain Toya Morrison and a request that graduates gather for a group photograph.

The transcript records no formal votes or policy actions. Next steps for the graduates, as noted in remarks at the ceremony, include field training and continued professional development under DeKalb County Police Department guidelines.