KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 174th entrant officer class is on the home stretch of training at the Kansas City Regional Police Academy.
KSHB 41 News has been following the class throughout training, which began in February.
This week, entrant officers are facing their final and most intense tests.
The situational training requires them to leave the comfort of the academy campus and go out into the Kansas City area on simulated 911 calls.
They've come a long way since starting academy training in February.
"Six months ago, I would not know what I'm doing, and now it's almost second nature," Entrant officer Brett Apostol said.
Over the course of four days, entrant officers will respond to 20 calls ranging from civil matters to an active shooter.
"They've prepared us as much as they can, and now it's up to us to not only be safe for ourselves but be a good addition to the community," Apostol said.
All the training they've learned up to this point is in play, and they must be successful to graduate.
Ezequiel Deloera said he's grateful for the hard work.
"It made me realize that I really want to do this, that this is definitely the thing I want to do for the rest of my life," Deloera said.
While this final week is stressful and intense, the class is just days away from reaching their goal of serving the public.
"It's definitely one of the hardest things I've done in my life, but it's rewarding, especially getting close to graduation and actually being out there, it's a really rewarding experience," Deloera said.
KSHB 41 News will continue following the 174th entrant officer class through graduation Aug.18.
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