Weight of the badge: Justice offers advice to cadets

CELINA - Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy told graduating Wright State University-Lake Campus Police Academy cadets that from now on, they'll be known by one thing and one name: Officer.

During Thursday's graduation ceremony, Kennedy told the 10 cadets the way the world sees them will change.

"Make no mistake, you will forever be changed the day you put that uniform on, and no one will see you as anything but blue," she said. "Your actions, even when you're not wearing the uniform, can change people's perceptions of your brothers and sisters in blue."

Kennedy told the cadets it is their mission to help, care for and protect others by enforcing the law. They are the first line of defense for their communities, and every time they respond to a call they are helping a person who cannot help themselves, she said.

"Every call, every action, every word, every deed means something to that person standing in front of you. Make it count," she said. "You have the ability to impact your chosen profession for better or worse by the way you conduct yourselves … and that is what you've accepted with this position."

Preparedness for law enforcement is not a moment, it is a lifetime commitment, she continued. Policing is a perishable skill, and cadets must continually prepare themselves every day for unimaginable situations, she said.

Family and friends may worry about them, Kennedy told the cadets, so they will need to be reassuring and explain that they are following proper procedures and using professional skill.

She urged cadets not to forget who they are and have compassion for their fellow man. She advised them to seek out positive role models as mentors, stay fit physically and mentally and expect the unexpected from the moment they leave their home to the moment they return.

Kennedy also told the cadets to remember the 10 deadly errors of law enforcement: failure to maintain equipment and proficiency; improper search, improper use of handcuffs; lack of alertness; relaxing too soon; missing danger signs; taking a bad position; failure to watch a suspect's hands; tombstone courage; preoccupation; and complacency.

"You will never look at the world the same way once you look at it through the windshield of a cruiser," Kennedy said. "From the routine, from the heart pounding, to the heartbreaking, I assure you, you will see it all. You will be forever changed.

You will run towards dangers as others flee. You will not be able to unsee what you see. You will be asked to do the impossible and the extraordinary. Keep hope alive. Always hope for the best even when you see the worst."

Commander Mark Ernst said this is the 20th year of the police academy program at the Lake Campus. He highlighted numerous scholarships available to students, including two $1,000 scholarships from Let's Back the Blue of Auglaize County and one full tuition scholarship from the Mark Heinl Family Scholarship Fund.

Heinl, 60, died Nov. 28. He had retired as a Mercer County Sheriff's Office captain in 2016 but kept busy working as a St. Henry Police Department patrolman, Darke County Sheriff's Office deputy and bus driver for multiple school districts.

Ernst said Let's Back the Blue of Auglaize County also donated a digital firearm simulation training system by DART, which cadets can use to train for when to shoot and when not to.

The 2022 cadet graduates include Kylie Archer, Tryston Cowan, Jill Gemmer, Aubrie Harrod, Lorissa Hoying, Sean McDonald, Dalan Sayer, Veronica Sepulveda, Shawn Sturwold and Garrett Weekly.