Oklahoma Highway Patrol graduates 19 new cadets

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is proud to announce nineteen (19) cadets are graduating from the 71st Academy on Friday, June 30, 2023.
The 71st Academy was OHP’s second “lateral” academy, meaning all cadets were already full-time, certified law enforcement officers with at least two years of experience. The nineteen graduates come from different backgrounds in law enforcement, including police and sheriff’s departments.
“We are proud of these cadets and all they have accomplished during the 13 weeks of the 71st Academy,” said OHP Chief, Colonel Pat Mays. “All of these cadets will bring prior law enforcement experience, along with everything they learned in the academy, to their various assignments across the state.”
The 71st Academy began on March 29 and the cadets underwent 13 weeks of intense training that included traffic and criminal law, arrest procedures, accident reconstruction, first aid, and Spanish. They also received training in use of force, communication skills and de-escalation tactics, firearms, driving, criminal interdiction, and physical fitness.
Graduating cadets next enter the field training phase. They will ride with another Trooper for thirteen (13) weeks before working the roads on their own. The nineteen cadets are assigned to troops all across the state.
The graduation ceremony will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 30 at the Midwest City High School Performing Arts Center, 213 Elm Street in Midwest City. The Honorable Frank Keating, former governor of Oklahoma, will deliver the keynote address. The ceremony will be live streamed on the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Facebook page for anyone interested in watching.