48th LEA Class Graduated April 26

On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, Otero College graduated 13 Law Enforcement Academy students in their 48th graduating class. These 13 students have completed their Basic Peace Officer Training in a 17-week intensive training at the Otero campus.

Along with Vincent Fraker, academy director, the Otero President, Tim Alvarez, Bent County Sheriff, Jake Six, and student speaker, Troy Appel, addressed the graduates.

Graduates from the Spring LEA class are as follows:

Troy Appel, Wiley, CO
Irvin Blais, Wiley, CO
Joshua David, Las Animas, CO
Monica Dominguez, Antonito, CO
Chance Dupree, Las Animas, CO
Damien Esparza, Lamar, CO
Justin Forsythe, Yuma, CO
John Gray, Ordway, CO
Nathan Hart, La Junta, CO
Alorra Ranker, Loma, CO
Owen Snyder, Arvada, CO
Clara Sowa, Sterling, CO
Crystal Trujillo, Fowler, CO

All 13 LEA Cadets passed their Colorado Peace Officer Certification Test a week after graduation. This was the fifth straight academy with a 100% pass rate, and one of the highest class averages thus far. Monica Dominguez was also awarded an Associate of Arts in General Studies upon completion of the program.

The Law Enforcement Training Academy is a one-semester, 40-credit hour, intensive peace officer certification program that provides you with the necessary skills and mindset to succeed in law enforcement. The Academy offers over 750 hours of classroom and hands-on training, including additional hours in investigations, communication, arrest control, firearms training, and law enforcement driving skills. The curriculum encompasses 200 hours above the 556 required training hours set by the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.

Otero is the only academy that focuses on training students who want to work as a peace officer in small towns or rural areas. While the academy’s focus is on the expanded training needed to serve in smaller, rural law enforcement agencies, Otero graduates are equally prepared to meet the narrower and more job-specific requirements of larger metro agencies as well.

Enrollment for the Fall Law Enforcement Training Academy is now open. For more information about the registration process, contact Vincent Fraker, academy director at 719-384-6867.