Oklahoma Highway Patrol academy to hold first graduation ceremony in 3 years

SPENCER, Okla. (AP) -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol will graduate 49 cadets from the OHP Academy during a ceremony in Spencer on Friday.<br/><br/>The 49 new troopers will partly offset the pending loss

Thursday, December 15th 2005, 10:14 am

By: News On 6

SPENCER, Okla. (AP) -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol will graduate 49 cadets from the OHP Academy during a ceremony in Spencer on Friday.

The 49 new troopers will partly offset the pending loss of 60 troopers to retirement during the next year. The patrol is currently 117 troopers below full strength because it hasn't had an academy in the past three years due to budget cuts.

The academy is the only source of troopers for the OHP.

Another academy is to begin in May.

The new troopers will report to their headquarters on December 26 to begin 13 weeks of field training.

The graduation will be held Friday afternoon at True Vine Baptist Church in Spencer.