The newest members of the California Highway Patrol were sworn in during a graduation ceremony at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento.
The 106 new officers include five with connections to the greater San Diego County area:
- Jose Barrientos is a 2017 graduate from Calexico High School. who attended Arizona Western College where he studied radiology. He will be assigned to the Solano Area office.
- Francisco Camarena is a 2016 graduate from Southwest High School who received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from the University of California, Riverside The former substitute teacher for the Imperial Unified School District will be assigned to the South Los Angeles Area office.
- Sergio Cerros is a 2017 graduate from Calexico High School who received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State. He will be assigned to the Garberville, Laytonville Resident Post Area office.
- Valentin Farias-Diaz, a 2017 graduate of West Hills High School who attended Grossmont College to study criminal justice. He will be assigned to the Clear Lake Area office.
- Luis Magana is a 2017 graduate from Brawley Union High School who received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State. He will be assigned to the Redwood City Area office.
“These men and women have chosen to dedicate themselves to a career in public service. They have completed several months of rigorous training at the CHP Academy to prepare them to serve the people of California,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “While this job is one of the most difficult things they will do in their entire life, it is also the most rewarding thing that they will do, and we are proud to have them as part of the CHP family.”
The Friday swearing-in ceremony for the new officers marks the completion of a 26-week journey at the CHP Academy. They will report to one of the 103 CHP Area offices throughout the state.
At the CHP Academy, cadet training ranges from leadership, professionalism and ethics, mental illness response and crisis intervention techniques to crash investigation, first aid, apprehension of suspected violators and various codes, including the California Vehicle Code, Penal Code and Health and Safety Code.
The CHP began a multi-year recruiting campaign in June 2022. In the first four months of 2024, the CHP received more than 7,600 cadet applications – a more than 100% increase from the same period in 2022. The next cadet graduation from the CHP Academy is set for July 12.
For more information about a career with the CHP, register for an online hiring seminar at 6:30 p.m. May 22.
