DeKalb County Police Department graduates new recruits

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The DeKalb Police Department welcomed 12 new officers.

They held a graduation ceremony in Decatur Friday morning.

The officers have gone through 26 weeks of intensive training.

They now face an additional 8 to 12 weeks of training in the field.

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said the department is heading in the right direction.

He said they are down 155 officers but the upcoming class is one of the biggest in recent memory, with 30-plus trainees.