The Future is Bright: FCPD Welcomes First Academy Class of 2024

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Fairfax County, VA – Last week, Deputy Chief Eli Cory welcomed 33 new recruits at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, marking the start of their 25-week basic training and the initiation of their careers in law enforcement.

FCPD has implemented a comprehensive revamp of our recruitment and retention initiatives. This involved streamlining the recruiting process, without changing hiring standards, to ensure we attract the best candidates.

For sworn officers, FCPD implemented a retention action plan that addresses morale, motivation, and preferences to identify actionable concerns to retain talent. We also developed a wellness fitness program, WellFit, for sworn officers and incoming recruits. This program consists of professional strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, physical therapists, and other wellness professionals who provide officers with health and wellness training through the academy and throughout their career.

Session 86 includes a diverse group of recruits and is comprised of individuals from all walks of life. In October 2021, FCPD joined over 100 other agencies in signing the 30×30 pledge – aiming to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by the year 2030. Of the 33 new recruits in this class, 8 (24%) are women.

Additionally, the recruits of Session 86 bring valuable education and language fluency skills to the department. Nearly two thirds of the recruits (60.7%) have earned a higher education degree, and nearly half (47.4%) are fluent in multiple languages.

This class also consists of 6 recruits (15.8%) who have served in the military and 13 recruits (39%) who are residents of Fairfax County. These measures of diversity, among others, are representative of the great strides FCPD has made in ensuring that the recruits hired by the department are representative of the community they serve.

The FCPD Academy is 25 weeks long and includes basic instruction in the procedures, techniques, principles of law enforcement, incident report writing, criminal law, traffic enforcement, and first aid. All officers also receive implicit and generational bias training. This training is designed to help officers build trust and positive relationships within their communities and is a crucial part of how FCPD keeps Fairfax County safe.

Considering a career in law enforcement? Look no further than Virginia’s largest municipal police department. If you’re interested in learning more about FCPD and joining our ranks, please visit JoinFCPD.com for more information.