176 new Troopers graduate from NYS Police School
ALBANY, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — There are 176 new New York State Troopers upholding the law across the state after they graduated from the State Police Basic School on Thursday.
Governor Kathy Hochul was on hand at the Empire State Plaza on Thursday, February 6 — along with New York State Police Superintendent Steven James — to congratulate the newest crop of state troopers. This is the 216th session of the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy. The graduation increases the ranks of the New York State Police to just over 5,000 members.
'Today's graduation is the culmination of six months of difficult classwork, physical training, and sacrifice, and we now welcome our newest members to one of the most prestigious and well-respected law enforcement agencies in the nation,' Superintendent James said in a statement. I am confident they are equipped to carry out our mission to serve our communities with the same professionalism and pride the State Police have exhibited for the past 107 years.'
The following are local graduates of the 217th Class of the Academy:
Trooper Mitchell Arndt of Mohawk,
Trooper Nedim Bektic of Utica,
Trooper Mason Burns of Rome,
Trooper Joseph Diana of Holland Patent,
Trooper Christina Heegan of Oneonta,
Trooper Mohamad Ayyas Mustafa Kamal of Utica,
Trooper Abigail Nell of Verona,
Trooper Joshua Page of Verona,
Trooper Kevin Parkhurst of Ilion,
Trooper Nathaniel Rath of Newport,
Trooper Ryan Smoulcey of Rome,
Trooper Brendan Svitak of Marcy,
Trooper Tanner Vogel of Ilion,
Trooper Tanner Young of Camden, and
Trooper Julia Yudchits of Herkimer.
According to the Governor's office, troop assignments are pending. All 176 troopers will report for field duty on either Friday, February 7, or Monday, February 10, depending on which platoon they are assigned to. From there, they will be evaluated for the next 10 weeks under a field training program.
'I commend these 176 new troopers for dedicating themselves to public service, and their commitment to protecting the people of New York State,' Governor Hochul said in a statement. 'The members of the New York State Police put their lives on the line each day to keep the rest of us safe — in a world where their mission has grown more challenging and complex. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to thank the graduates for their hard work and perseverance — and welcome them to the long gray line.'
The New York State Police have said that this class of Troopers will be the last to graduate from the academy at the former Cazenovia College. All prospective candidates for the New York State Police Academy will now attend at the main branch in Albany.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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