FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2019
GRADUATION CEREMONY HELD FOR
MDTA POLICE ACADEMY CLASS 52
BALTIMORE, MD - The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police announced today the graduation of 42 new members of the MDTA Police and the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) Police.
“Having watched Class 52 progress through their 32 weeks of demanding academy training, we’re proud to see this diverse group of men and women now join our ranks,” said MDTA Police Chief Col. Jerry Jones.
The new officers, who entered the MDTA Police Academy in November 2018, received their badges during a graduation ceremony held last night at Dundalk/Sollers Point High School. The graduates include 29 MDTA Police officers and 13 MDOT MTA Police officers. Chief Jones was joined at the ceremony by MDOT MTA Police Chief John E. Gavrilis. Walter F. “Pete” Landon, Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Deputy Chief of Staff, was the guest speaker.
The next step for the new MDTA and MDOT MTA officers is field training, where each will be paired with a Field Training Officer (FTO) for several weeks. The FTOs will build on academy training with practical application of what the new officers learned.
MDTA Police officers will then be assigned to detachments at the MDTA’s toll facilities, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Port of Baltimore. After successfully completing a two-year probation period, officers will be eligible to pursue a specialized assignment, such as the Special Response Team, K-9 Unit, Motor Unit or Detective Unit.
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