Eighteen graduates completed the Law Enforcement program Basic Patrol Academy at North Idaho College, including: Jacob Allen, Harvey Ballman, Ronald Broesch, William Duffy and Scott Hice from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department; Makayla Desjarlais from the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Department; Joseph Hirst from the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office; Bradley Johnson from the Post Falls Police Department; Jacob Pleger from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department; Crystal Sudol from the Spirit Lake Police Department; and self-sponsored students Eric Bailey and Jason Jones of Coeur d’Alene, Bennie Dean and Daniel Koontz of Post Falls, Matthew Edwards of Hayden, Jeremy Inman of Cocolalla, Joel Lambert of Spokane and Spencer Smith of Sandpoint. (NIC Press Room photo)

DFO: Gotta give a shout-out to Jake Pleger (bottom row, far right), a new CPD Blue and Marine Corps veteran who's served a tour or two of duty in the Middle East and is the son of my good buddy, Earl Pleger. Read: I've known Jake since he was in diapers. At the academy, Jake earned the Outstanding Professional Award and Top Gun. Read: Don't mess with him.