Madison Reporter

MADISON, Wis. – Over the next six months, the Madison Police Department will provide weekly updates on its in-house training academy. This year’s class consists of 32 recruits.

On Tuesday, these recruits took an oath of office to serve and protect the people of Madison during a special ceremony. Following this, they engaged in onboarding paperwork and attended a ropes course designed to improve communication and foster team growth.

“Every year, this group starts as strangers. But by this fall, they’ll be family,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.

The MPD Academy runs from May until November and is recognized as one of the most comprehensive academies in the country. Recruits will receive extensive training in areas such as law, crisis intervention, use of community resources, and patrol tactics. In November, they will transition into the field-training portion of their careers.