Forty-eight new Virginia State Police Troopers were handed their diplomas Friday morning at the graduation of the 142nd Basic Session at the State Police Training Academy in Chesterfield County.

Among the graduates are two from Gloucester—Peter Cromwell Haughton and Stephanie Elizabeth Roberts—who will serve in Gloucester and Mathews counties. Haughton has been assigned to Gloucester, while Roberts will begin her service in Mathews.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin spoke to the graduating class. This class consists of both traditional trainees and members of what is known as the “Expedited Law Enforcement Certified Academy.” Members of the Expedited Academy are existing law enforcement professionals who have already been certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and have served at least three years in law enforcement elsewhere in Virginia.

The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations.

The Trooper-Trainees of the 142nd Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the academy last June. Those participating in the Expedited Academy began their training in November.

The graduates of the 142nd Basic Session are from every corner of the commonwealth, as well as Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, and the country of Japan.

After graduation, the new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments across Virginia. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.