The White Plains police department welcomed eight new officers to the force during a swearing-in ceremony Friday.
A number of emotions were on display as the recent Westchester County Police Academy graduates held up their badges and readied for their probationary stints with the city police department.
“We’ve been very lucky,” said David Chong, the city’s public safety commissioner. “The mayor and Council have been very supportive of the department over the years. When we have retirements and people who leave the job, the mayor has committed to keeping public safety up to strength and allows us to replace the people who leave.”
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Said Mayor Thomas Roach: “It’s wonderful to see eight young men who are devoting their life to public service. It’s a very competitive process, so you’re looking at eight of the best that the community has to offer and they will serve the community well.”
Luis Muniz III had his mother, Vanessa Muniz, pin his police shield after he was sworn-in during Friday’s ceremony. Muniz III saw Vanessa do the same thing for his father, Sgt. Luis Muniz, during a similar ceremony 20 years ago.
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“It’s pretty exciting,” Muniz III said. “It’s a big set of shoes to fill, but it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
Said Sgt. Muniz: “It was an emotional experience considering that I was doing the same thing 20 years ago. It was nice seeing my wife pin the shield on him 20 years after she did the same thing for me. It was very emotional for her.”Below is the list for all the officer who were sworn-in:
- Douglas Giusti
- John Guastella
- Jamel Jones
- Luis Muniz III
- Matthew Rokicki
- Tyler Hinkley
- Anthony Omoruan
- Bryan Rushneck
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