TYLER, Texas — Thursday afternoon the Tyler Police Department swore in four new officers as part of their approved budget from the city raising their ranks to full staff at 194 officers.
The valedictorian or "top gun" of the new class of officers, Josiah Baxter, said he joined to make his community a better place.
“I wanted to be able to serve as well as to protect," explained Baxter. "This is close to where I live, where I work, where I do stuff in and out of the city all the time so I want to make it a safer place.”
The department awarded each officer with his badge, pinned on each of them by their wives.
Chief of Police Jimmy Toler said these men have been on a long journey to get to this point, and they still have more to go.
"Getting hired on, getting your badge for the first time, putting on that blue uniform for the first time," said Chief Toler. "They stand in front of their family that supports them, as they get ready to go out on the street knowing that family is gonna be there for them every day when they come home. And the police officers that train them are going to do everything they can to give them all the tools they need to go out there and do a great job and do a safe job.”
The new officers’ training and salary are part of the current city budget. An entry level police recruit begins at a salary level of approximately $53,000 a year.
Baxter says he feels prepared for the next step of his career.
“The Academy was fun, it was good, there was a lot of training that went involved to that, a lot of tests, a lot of studying," said Baxter. "But it was good, it prepares you to take the next step."
Baxter is looking forward to making a positive impact in his community, and hopes to help change the perception of law enforcement.
“A lot of [people] don’t really know a lot about the police except what they see from the news and everything else," said Baxter. "A lot of times the only time we get involved is when something bad happens. So it’s great to be able to make a good difference and then have that reported."