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placed those fears aside, and made it here today,” he charged. Then Collins turned the message to their soon-to-be brothers and sisters and said:“ The recruits you see on this stage have devoted many hours of training to join you in the battle. You have watched over us while we slept soundly in our beds. Now, it’ s time for us to help.”
There are 51 reasons Class 41 is so memorable. You have followed the stories of recruit Brooke Labell, who came in through the Alternate Route Program without the promise of a job and came out as a South Brunswick Officer. You have followed the trail recruit Andrew Peahota blazed as he worked his way up to post the highest score on the final physical fitness test on to the Avalon PD.
And then there is Middle Township Officer Mark Bakley and Keansburg Officer Christopher Hosey who posted the top two academic averages in the class respectively. And how about Sayreville Officer Eric Fischer who earned the coveted Director’ s Award? It also would have been nice to get to know a little more about Benjamin Batista, who joins Perth Amboy as the Merit Award winner selected by his classmates.
“ I was always trying to be as professional as possible at all times,” Batista related.“ All the training and everything put together makes me who I am, and it’ s going to make me a great cop.”
Leave it to a sister, however, to observe the extreme makeover these recruits went through while enduring the only residential police academy in New Jersey. Perth Amboy Detective Jessica DeJesus pinned a badge on, and welcomed to her department, brother Willie, who would have won the awards for being most quick-witted and eloquent in the class if there were such honors.
“ He’ s much more disciplined and mature,” Jessica described.“ You definitely see the change. I’ m so proud of him.”
Rick Susalla, left, and officer in the Pittsburgh suburb of Edgewood Borough, pins a badge on his son, Recruit Stephen Susalla.
Willie admitted tearing up when Jessica pinned and hugged him. And because he has never hidden his emotions, Recruit DeJesus gets the last word for this season of Police Academy: Cape May County:
“ We were just saying how we watched the video from day one and how we always thought this day would never come,” Officer DeJesus emphasized.“ We will miss the bonds we created with 51 new sisters and brothers, and even more when you count the drill instructors, administrators and everyone who guided us through this process. It’ s unbelievable and overwhelming.”
And so we give you the recruits of Cape May County BCPO Class 41 … 51 present, zero absent, zero late. Shoes shined. Uniforms ironed. Ready for the sacrifice in high courage. d
54 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ FEBRUARY 2017