New Officer Joins Vienna Police Department After Academy Graduation

VIENNA, VA — The Vienna Police Department is gaining a new officer after the latest Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy on Jan. 12.

Officer Celines R. Fitchue was part of the 82nd session of the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, according to a Vienna Police Department news release. The academy trains recruits of the Fairfax County Police Department, as well as the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, the Herndon and Vienna Police Departments and the Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Before going to the academy, law enforcement job candidates must complete an application process with a background check, medical examination, polygraph test, and various interviews. On average, about 2 percent of police officer applicants are invited to train at the recruit academy.

At the academy, newly-hired recruits complete six months of training. Recruits receive over 920 hours of instruction, which includes 320 hours of academic studies, 94 hours of firearms training, 84 hours of emergency vehicle operation, 110 hours of physical training, 130 hours of defensive tactics training and more.

After completing the academy, Fitchue will get a field training instructor to observe and guide the new police officer's performance over 12 weeks. That guidance relates to officer safety, traffic enforcement, interaction with citizens, report writing, investigations of crimes, vehicular accidents and more parts of law enforcement duties.