Milwaukee police recruits sworn in, about to begin 26 weeks of training

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Police Department swore in its latest police recruit class on Monday, December 8th. 52 recruits -- including 45 men and 7 women -- were sworn in at the Police Academy.

The class that took the oath on Monday is the third of 2014. The recruits range in age from 21 to 51 years old. Ten of the recruits were promoted from the rank of police aide. The recruits will now undergo 26 weeks of training. They're scheduled to graduate in June 2015.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn gave about a seven-minute speech to the new recruits on Monday. He told them their training will not only get their bodies in shape -- but it will also get their judgment in shape.

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Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett welcomed the new class at the ceremony. In his remarks, Mayor Barrett touched on the training these men and women receive not just from the police department, but from people throughout their lives.

"You will be called to rely on not only training you receive here, but you will be called on to rely on the training that you received from your parents, from your teachers, from ministers, and priests, and rabbis, from counselors, because you're really going to be tested on the interpersonal interactions, many of whom want nothing to do with you," Mayor Barrett said.