Chester officer graduates from institute

Chester — Brand-new police officers graduated last Friday from the Orange County Law Enforcement Training Institute. The officers represented police agencies from throughout Orange County, and also included officers from Sullivan County and the Bronx. Graduate Michael Kearns is the first full-time police officer with the Town of Chester to attend the new training institute. He took top honors in Academic Achievement and Overall Achievement. The full list of awards for the officers’ accomplishments during their 20 weeks of training is as follows: Officer Michael Kearns, Town of Chester — Academic Achievement and Overall Achievement Award Officer Matthew Finch, Highland Falls — Excellence in Firearms Deputy Sheriff Steven Olivier, Orange County Sheriff’s Department — Excellence in Defensive Tactics Officer Anthony Kuhn, Town of Newburgh — Excellence in Emergency Medical Care Officer Robert DeYoung, Town of Warwick — Excellence in Physical Fitness Officer Timothy Spindler, Town of New Windsor — Drill Instructor’s Award Officer Raymondhan Maeang, Town of New Windsor — Director’s Award Officer Robert DeYoung, Town of Warwick —Police Officer Jason Conklin Memorial Award The ceremony, held at the IBEW Hall in Harriman, was attended by about 400 people, including family members, community leaders, and fellow police officers. The keynote speaker was State Senator William Larkin. This is the third graduating class from the Orange County Law Enforcement Training Institute. The Police Chief’s Association of Orange County and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office provided the training. The next police basic course is scheduled to begin on March 5.