WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Highway Patrol welcomed 120 newly sworn officers following a 26-week training program at its academy in West Sacramento, according to a state announcement provided to California58. The class brings the reported number of CHP officers sworn in since 2019 to more than 3,200.

Where the new officers will serve

The graduates will begin supervised field training at CHP area offices around California. Two named graduates illustrate the geographic reach of the class: John Merrick, from Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County, is assigned to the San Jose area in Santa Clara County; Nathan Mundine, from Lemoore in Kings County, is assigned to the Hayward area in Alameda County. The academy itself is in West Sacramento, Yolo County.

The announcement says cadets completed approximately 1,275 hours of classroom, tactical and scenario-based training over 26 weeks. After field training, officers may later seek specialized roles in investigations, aviation, canine units and commercial enforcement.

Two officers, two paths to public service

Merrick previously served six years in the Army National Guard and has worked with young people facing difficult circumstances. Mundine described experiencing homelessness during his teenage years before becoming a first-generation college graduate at California State University, Fresno. Both are beginning assignments outside their hometowns.

What this means for local communities

For readers in Yolo, San Luis Obispo, Kings, Santa Clara and Alameda counties, the story connects the statewide training pipeline to specific hometowns and duty stations. A graduation does not, by itself, establish how many additional officers any one local CHP office will have after staffing changes and field training.

CHP academy and recruitment

The West Sacramento academy was dedicated in 1976 and began welcoming cadets the following year. According to the state announcement, 382 CHP officers have graduated in 2026. Californians interested in joining can review current recruitment information on the official CHP website.

Context: California’s crime statistics

The Governor’s announcement also cites statewide 2025 decreases in homicide (18.6%), robbery (19.9%), property crime (14.3%), motor vehicle theft (25.8%) and violent crime (10.2%) compared with 2024. These are figures reported by the administration, not independent evidence that the academy graduation caused the declines. Local trends can differ substantially from statewide totals.

Source and verification note: This article is based on the California Governor’s announcement supplied to California58. Earlier 2026 CHP graduation classes and the academy training program are documented independently by the CHP April 10 release and the Governor’s September 1 update. The reported October 16 graduation and individual biographies are also documented in the Governor’s official October 16 release. The photo above is an archival image of a CHP recruiting car, not a photograph of the 2026 graduation.

Cover photo: TaurusEmerald / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).

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