By By Adrienne McKenzie
Northview High School graduate Justin Hetrick is one of the newest members of the Atmore Police Department.
Hetrick has been an officer with APD for six months. For three months he drove around with another officer as a part of training and for the other three months he was a student at the Mobile Police Academy. Hetrick said becoming a police officer has been a dream of his since he can remember.
"This has something I've been wanting to do for a long time," Hetrick said. "I like it here and it's just something I've always wanted to do."
Hetrick graduated from Northview High School in 2003 and he is 22 years old.
He entered the Mobile Police Academy on Aug. 6 and graduated Oct. 24 after finishing 480 hours of training, which he said was strenuous.
"We would run a lot," he said. "We ran about five miles a day."
The Atmore Police Department sponsored Hetrick and two other officers, Mitchell Hughes and Mark Chapman, as they attended the academy, which allowed them to enter the law enforcement field.
Atmore Police Department chief Jason Dean said he is happy to have Hetrick with the department.
"I'm pleased to have officer Hetrick as part of our team," Dean said.
Dean said Hetrick did a great job while at the Mobile Police Academy and that he is eager to work with him in the future.
"He worked extremely hard during the Academy," Dean said. "I am very proud of him and look forward to working with him."
The Advance will feature new Atmore Police Department officers Hughes and Chapman in upcoming issues.