New SCPD Recruit Class of 33 Sworn In, Beginning 31-Week Training

Thirty-three new Suffolk County Police recruits were sworn into the department during a ceremony in Brentwood on December 8, 2025, with Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina officiating. The class, which met with Suffolk PBA leaders ahead of a graduation scheduled for Thursday, will spend the next 31 weeks in academy training before moving into sector cars.

Nearly half the class arrives with law enforcement experience already in hand. Catalina, who previously served as the department's deputy commissioner before being confirmed as the department's top officer, presided over the swearing-in as the 33 recruits formally entered SCPD service.

The 45 percent of the class with prior law enforcement experience stands out as a notable figure, though the department has not specified which agencies that experience comes from, a question raised publicly by community members following the department's announcement.

Monday, December 8, marked day one of a training arc that stretches to 31 weeks and surpasses 1,000 hours of instruction. The curriculum is broad by design, covering law, emergency medical training, domestic violence, anti-bias training, mental illness, cultural diversity, terrorism, and body-worn camera technology. That last subject reflects a significant shift in how modern policing is documented: the SCPD has previously noted that officers once relied on camcorders before body cameras became standard-issue.

The Suffolk PBA announced that the class met with association leaders ahead of their Thursday graduation ceremony. Per the PBA, the new officers are expected to serve in sector cars once they complete training, placing them directly in the patrol roles that form the core of the department's day-to-day presence across the county.

Catalina brings more than 33 years of law enforcement experience with two of the largest police departments in the country to his oversight of the department's training pipeline. He began his police career with the New York Police Department before later serving as undersheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office for more than five years.

The swearing-in ceremony in Brentwood drew significant public attention, with the SCPD's Facebook post announcing the class generating 89,000 views and more than 200 comments. When the 33 recruits complete their 31 weeks of instruction, they will become the department's newest officers patrolling Suffolk's roads and neighborhoods.