From The Tribune staff reports
SELMA – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) graduated 52 new Troopers on Nov. 4, during a closed ceremony held in the auditorium of the Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center (ACJTC) in Selma.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor was on hand to welcome the agency’s newest members and commended them for continuing to persevere and complete the ACJTC’s intensive training during these precarious times. Trooper Class 2020-E is one of the largest classes in the agency’s recent history. It is also ALEA’s first combined class, with a portion of the graduates already having law enforcement experience.
The class consisted of 12 ALEA Trooper Trainees who received their certification from the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) from June 1 to Aug. 27. In addition, 40 accelerated Trooper Trainees who were already APOSTC-certified joined Aug. 30.
ALEA has hired 118 Troopers since Jan. 1.
“Forty of you are from 26 different (law enforcement) agencies,” said Taylor during the ceremony. “We want to thank you for having the confidence in us to come here and complete training. I promise you; we will not let you down and we will support you.”
Also included in Class 2020-E are three members whose fathers are sworn members of ALEA. Trooper Jonah Holzheimer is the son of Trooper Kenneth Holzheimer; Trooper Ashton Senn is the son of Special Agent Johnny Senn of ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation; and Trooper James Dean is the son of Trooper Jimmy Dean, who passed away in February.