Henderson Police Department will add 44 new officers during a graduation ceremony Thursday, Nov. 5, capping what the department calls the largest and one of the most diverse recruit classes in its history. The ceremony starts at noon at Central Church, 1001 New Beginnings Dr., marking the end of 25 weeks and three days of training for Academy Class 14.
The recruits spent those months training in firearms, de-escalation tactics and life-saving skills, according to FOX5 Vegas. The outlet reports the class includes recruits from five other countries, with seven languages spoken among its members, along with more than a dozen Henderson natives. Class 14 also brings together military veterans, former HPD explorers and cadets, retail employees and hospitality workers, the station notes.
A Class Years in the Making
The scale of Thursday's graduation traces back to a staffing push that began well before training started. The City of Henderson announced in May that Academy Class 14 opened on May 11 with 56 recruits, calling it the largest academy class the department had ever assembled. City officials said at the time that if all recruits made it through training and graduated in November, the department was expected to reach a near-zero officer vacancy rate.
That staffing goal stems from a real shortfall. The city says Henderson Police Department experienced officer vacancy rates exceeding 14 percent in 2022, and officials responded with a public safety recruitment specialist, the department's first cadet program, eliminated testing fees and expanded physical training sessions, per the same city release.
From Thousands of Applicants to Dozens of Graduates
The road from application to academy was steep. A May report from the station found that of 2,056 applicants for Class 14, only 56 made it to the recruits' first inspection, and that number dropped to 52 after the inspection itself. The same report said Henderson PD had shifted its recruiting focus to local applicants, and that the department's vacancy rate, once above 14 percent in 2022, stood closer to zero by that point. The department said recruit applications would reopen in a few months, the outlet reported.
Thursday's graduation would mark the department's second large academy class this year. In April, Henderson swore in a new round of officers after a separate 27-week academy cycle that covered firearms safety and marksmanship, de-escalation tactics, emergency medical aid, and driving and defensive tactics, according to a FOX5 Vegas report at the time. Coverage of that April ceremony varied on the exact headcount — FOX5 reported 41 new officers completed the academy, while News 3 reported 40 new officers graduated, describing a class made up of 34 police officers and six correction officers at a ceremony held at Green Valley Baptist Church.
Department Still Hiring
Even with Class 14 set to graduate, Henderson Police Department says it is hiring additional officers. News 3 reported in April that the department continues to hire to meet the needs of Nevada's second-largest city, a goal that has driven several academy cycles in recent years as Henderson worked to close the staffing gaps first identified in 2022.
