The Huntsville Police Department has 24 new officers.
About 19 weeks ago, 41 cadets set out to become one of Huntsville's police finest. On Friday, 24 of those cadets graduated as part of the 61st academy class.
The Huntsville Police Department has been putting a lot of focus into recruiting and it has been paying off. One of the cadets we talked to said he's from New York but was drawn to Huntsville to serve and protect.
"I like the feeling, the camaraderie. Everybody is very nice down here, so that always stayed in the back of my mind. I had family members who encouraged me to take the test because I could've did NYPD or something like that, but down here really stood out to me," said a new officer, Patrick Williams.
Huntsville police offer physical training sessions for anyone interested in applying for the academy. You can learn more about those sessions here.