Four UCD police cadets hired as full-time officers

The UC Davis Police Department graduated its third class of student cadets earlier this week, but some of the graduates won’t be gone for long.

Of the 17 cadets, four — Sean Berger, Jena Du, Erika Lee and Gurpreet Singh — have been hired on as full-time UCD police officers, pending their completion of a six-month police academy at Napa Valley College that begins in July.

Three more graduates received scholarships toward Peace Officer Standards and Training instruction that ultimately will help them land jobs in law enforcement.

UCD Police Chief Matt Carmichael said the new hirings stem from a program he began several years ago to bring educated officers from diverse backgrounds to his police force by looking within the local population.

“While training is important, a lot of issues come back to, who are we hiring?” Carmichael said. “Why are we not looking at our own community members who have an interest to serve?”

Already, four past UCD police cadets have joined the ranks, while others have found jobs at police departments from the Bay Area to San Diego.

“These are people who graduated with four-year degrees from one of the finest institutions on the planet,” Carmichael said. “They understand community, and when they come back, it’s wonderful to watch.”

Open to seniors and graduate students, the Cadet Academy runs each year from January to May and offers training similar to a traditional police academy, including a physical fitness regimen and hands-on experiences such as campus patrols and security checks.

A total of 59 cadets have graduated from the program thus far, Carmichael said.