50 men, women begin careers as LA sheriff's deputies

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles County Sheriff's recruits received their certificates and graduated Thursday, an event that took almost six months.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell said 50 men and woman were all sworn in and are beginning their careers during a challenging time. A time when there is a mistrust of law enforcement in many communities.

"At the time you began your academy training, the nation's attention was just shifting to the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and elsewhere across our nation," he said at the ceremony.

Most recently, LAPD officers have been scrutinized for the deadly shooting of a homeless man on Skid Row. The incident was captured by a witness on his cellphone.

The newly sworn deputies said they're well aware of the many sets of eyes that will be on them and the role of social media.

McDonnell reminded the new deputies that their power comes with responsibility and that they will be held to a high standard.

The deputies who received their badges Thursday night said they want to serve the public and honor the badge. Deputy Matthew Franklin said if one deputy does something illegal or immoral, it reflects on the entire department.

"We have that persona that the entire sheriff's department will have if we do something bad. So I challenged our deputies to always be the ones to wake up in the morning and do something right, and actually stick with that pledge we made at the beginning of the academy to integrity, honor, courage, commitment and those type of things," he said.

McDonnell said he has very high expectations for the class and that they have an opportunity "to live a life of purpose." Friday is their first day on the job.