Officer Steven Meador, right, and other members of the graduating police academy class, recite their oath during the ceremony Thursday at Chattanooga State.Clayton Smith stands a full head below several of the other officers in his police academy graduating class, but his reassuring, confident personality allows him to come off much taller.
The former soldier and class president of the year’s first police academy – the second in six months – was excited for the chance to start making Chattanooga’s streets safer, but mostly proud of his fellow classmates.
“Getting a group of guys to work together as a team can be a real challenge, but we hit it off very quickly,” he said. “I was honored for the opportunity.”
The night wasn’t just a big deal for the graduates, it was a big deal for the city, too. The Chattanooga police force is down about 54 officers from the 500-strong group Chief Bobby Dodd would like to see, and loses about 20 more every year because of retirement and career changes.
Dodd said he was proud of the graduates, and hopes more people will join the force – particularly women and minorities the department is lacking.