Four officers join Turlock Police Department

Four new Turlock Police Department officers were among the 45 members of the Class of 34-2015 who graduated Wednesday from the San Joaquin Delta College Peace Officer Academy. Jose Calvache, Emanuel Moles, Adam Neep and Alfred Velasquez III were sworn in during the afternoon ceremony in Stockton.

Earlier this month, Police Chief Rob Jackson spoke with the Turlock City Council at one in a series of workshops on city operations. He said sworn officer positions peaked at 86 in 2009, just before budget cuts caused by the economic downturn, and stood at 78 at the start of March. He proposes to get back to 86 as the budget allows in the coming years.

The cuts forced Turlock to pull out of a Central Valley task force on gangs and a Stanislaus County task force on auto theft, Jackson said. The department also suspended its Street Crimes Unit, which deals with repeat offenders, but plans to revive it soon, thanks to increased staffing.

Other agencies that had officers sworn in Wednesday included the Modesto, Manteca, Angels Camp and Stockton police departments and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department.

For a gallery of images, see modbee.com.

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Four officers join Turlock Police Department."