Oakland's top-ranking leaders came out in force Wednesday to address the new police academy - the city's first in four years.
"We've been waiting for you for a long time," Mayor Jean Quan said to the crowd. "You look a lot like the city. This is the class with the most amount of women. Over half of you speak a second language. We're very proud."
A total of 54 men and woman comprise the 166th academy, joining a department that is understaffed and that continually battles an uptick in crime.
Academy members officially started on Monday and will need to spend 26 weeks in the academy and 16 weeks of field training before completing all their requirements.
