WATCH: Suffolk PD Live Stream Police Academy Graduation

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY —For the first time due to COVID-19, the Suffolk Police Academy hosted its graduation ceremony virtually in Brentwood Friday morning. The class of 70 graduates is comprised of 64 Suffolk County Police recruits, of which nearly 60 percent have previous law enforcement experience and 42 who received a college degree. The academy also trained six recruits for outside and associated agencies including Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Southold Town Police Department and East Hampton Town Police Department.

While the 178th graduation ceremony for the department was different from those in the past due to the coronavirus, the recruits used the situation to support others who are fighting the virus around-the-clock. Last week, the recruits delivered food to emergency room staff at Stony Brook Hospital to show their support and thank workers for their dedication to public health.

The recruits completed 30 weeks of academy training and received more than 1,000 hours of instruction on law, emergency medical training, domestic violence, mental illness, cultural diversity, and terrorism. The ceremony was live streamed on the Suffolk County Police Department Facebook page at 9 a.m.

Watch the full video below: