NIC celebrates Basic Patrol grads, honors former officers
North Idaho College Basic Patrol Academy graduate Jacob Shaw hugs a family member during the academy’s graduation ceremony on May 5 at NIC’s main campus in Coeur d’Alene.
North Idaho College celebrated the spring 2022 graduates of the Basic Patrol Academy in an emotional ceremony that also gave memorial to two former officers on May 5 at the Edminster Student Union Building on NIC’s main campus in Coeur d’Alene.
In addition to congratulating five graduates who earned their badges, the Basic Patrol Academy community celebrated and remembered Fred Swanson and Sgt. Greg Moore.
Swanson, a more than 30-year veteran officer who became the program’s coordinator and instructor in retirement, died this year after being hospitalized, and Moore was a Coeur d’Alene Police officer who was killed on duty on May 5, 2015.
Swanson, who died in January, saw a dozen classes through NIC’s program over the course of six years and mentored 113 graduates as they started their law enforcement careers.
Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Stuart Miller, who has served as the program’s interim coordinator since January, said Swanson left a lasting impression on the program, and during the ceremony, the graduates presented Swanson’s family with an American flag flown at the academy.
“Fred flew this flag every day during the fall 2021 academy, and our class flew it every day in his honor,” Miller said. “It’s a little worn, it’s a little tattered, but it’s been flown with honor and continued reverence just as we will remember Fred and what he did for the citizens he served and for the law enforcement community he enhanced.”
Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White, who administered the code of ethics to the graduating class, said academy graduations were not only a time to celebrate new peace officers, but also an opportunity for veteran officers to reflect on their careers and the reasons why they entered the profession.
“Greg Moore, these new officers and the people who continue to serve our communities with pride and professionalism do it because they believe they can make a difference,” White said. “Our calling is to serve and protect not only our community, but also the values, the ideals and the freedoms that are so uniquely American.
“The service of officers across the United States and the sacrifice made by Sgt. Moore resonate throughout our communities and our agencies, and they remind us why we wear the badge. They remind us that we stand for something much greater than ourselves, and they remind us of the weight of the tremendous responsibility that we’ve been entrusted with and that should humble us to our core,” White said.
Class president Benjamin Whipple fondly remembered parts of their training – including jumping into a frigid lake in early March and firearms training in freezing weather – but also recognized the gravity of the profession they chose.
“My class chose the motto, ‘Protect the innocent,’ and I believe Greg Moore embodied that motto,” Whipple said. “I can unequivocally state that my class will work together throughout our careers to live by that motto and never forget the hard work, traditions and esprit du corps that those before us have bestowed upon us.”
NIC Interim President Michael Sebaaly thanked the graduates for their hard work and for their commitment to service in general and to local agencies. Several graduates already have jobs with the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and Rathdrum Police Department.
“North Idaho College gets to touch this community in so many different ways, and this is a special time for you and for us,” Sebaaly said. “Thank you for letting us help you along the way. I’m honored to celebrate with you and appreciate your choice of sacrifice and service to your loved ones and to this community.”
For more information about NIC’s Basic Patrol Academy, contact NIC Basic Patrol Academy Interim Coordinator Stuart Miller at (208) 769-4376 or Stuart.Miller@nic.edu.
NIC Basic Patrol Academy Interim Coordinator Stuart Miller congratulates graduate Gabriel Kolar during the academy’s graduation ceremony on May 5 at NIC’s main campus in Coeur d’Alene.
Story by Megan Snodgrass mpsnodgrass@nic.edu
Photos by Kyle Dishaw kyle.dishaw@students.nic.edu
Posted: Monday, May 16, 2022
