SELMA – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) graduated 52 new ALEA Troopers on Nov. 4, during a closed ceremony held in the auditorium of the Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center (ACJTC), in Selma.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor personally welcomed the agency’s newest sworn members and commended them for continuing to persevere and complete the ACJTC’s intensive training during these precarious times.
Trooper Class 2020-E, which began Aug. 30, is one of the largest classes in the agency’s recent history. It is also ALEA’s first combined class, with a portion of the graduates already having law enforcement experience. The class consisted of 12 ALEA Trooper Trainees who received their certification from the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) from June 1 to Aug. 27. In addition, 40 accelerated Trooper Trainees who were already APOSTC-certified joined Aug. 30.
Thanks to the continued support from Governor Kay Ivey and the legislature, ALEA has hired 118 Troopers since Jan. 1. Secretary Taylor noted that if this support continues, it will enable ALEA to hire additional Troopers in the future.
“Forty of you are from 26 different (law enforcement) agencies. We want to thank you for having the confidence in us to come here and complete training.” Secretary Taylor said during the ceremony. “I promise you; we will not let you down and we will support you.”
Also included in Class 2020-E are three members whose fathers are sworn members of ALEA. Trooper Jonah Holzheimer is the son of Trooper Kenneth Holzheimer; Trooper Ashton Senn is the son of Special Agent Johnny Senn of ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation; and Trooper James Dean is the son of Trooper Jimmy Dean, who passed away in February.
ALEA has provided a full, unedited video of the graduation ceremony for friends and family of graduates who were not able to attend due to COVID-19.
