thank you director malan thank you for coming to Milwaukee to participate in this ceremony thank you for your inspirational remarks thank you for your service and thank you for the grant that made this possible um every class has a sponsor that comes back for the graduation ceremony and dor director Mikan has agreed to be the uh class sponsor for this class and so uh if you very good and you're with us months from now uh director mikin will be here to see you off to a career of service so we're very grateful I would also like to take a moment and bring to your attention that the uh United States Attorney for the eastern district of Wisconsin has joined us today James santel thank you very [Applause] much and representing District Attorney John Chisum who had the tarity to take a vacation this week uh is first Deputy da Kent ver [Applause] Ken uh today is a somewhat unusual day in our history in so far as the fact that we are creating a tradition and you will be the first exemplars of that tradition and that tradition is to supplement your oath of office which you took in order to enter the police academy with what we call the oath of Honor obviously an oath of office is prescribed by state law and has to follow very specific guidelines in terms of the things you swear to do the oath of honor is a little different the oath of honor is our conscious invocation of the values of our profession and our Police Department in the connection of those values to your professional behavior these are not just words our goal here is to remind you and the rest of the police department as we Implement our new code of conduct that the Bedrock of our performance is our value system this is a profession that depends upon the Integrity of its practitioners to behave in a consistent way as they administer the law and police the needs of a diverse Society there are reasons people do what you say some of those reasons have to do with the power that the law bestows upon you some of those reasons are because you carry a sidearm and are authorized to use it but the main reason people are listen willing to listen to and obey the directions of the police is because they perceive them as legitimate Fair honorable cons consistent and compassionate they acknowledge through their difference the fact that they believe that you have courage that you are competent that you have integrity that you exhibit leadership behaviors that you are willing to act with restraint in your use of authority and your use of force when people lose confidence in the visible representatives of their Society the police when they no longer believe you are the things that I just said there is social breakdown now some of you may have be aware of current events some of you may be aware of your history but in every society that has broken down and been plagued by intering violence between religious groups or ethnic groups the institution that most conspicuously failed was the police it was was true in Northern Ireland it was true in Bosnia it was true in Kosovo it's true in Iraq and it's true in Afghanistan and the only hope to change that Dynamic is to create a police power a police Authority a police force that's perceived as a Force for good motivated by honorable intentions so when we ask you today to take your oath of Honor and articulate our values when we direct you as part of this class to memorize our vision statement to memorize our our mission statement to memorize our values this isn't just Arcane plea or pledge knowledge to make life difficult for you this needs to penetrate deep into your heart it articulates why we think you came to us because you believe it's a profession of Honor because you want to make a difference in the lives of others you want to protect the weak from the strong you want to do good now there's a great threat to you as you leave these Academy Doors and we'll talk more about it when you graduate but the tendency towards police cynicism based on the gap between how poor people buffeted by wretched events can behave can sometimes test your idealism and if you're not careful you slip into a cynical Behavior towards people that treats folks who need you as somehow unworthy you have to resist that at all costs because treating people as though they are Unworthy of you when you're in a life of service in fact reflects on you and undermines your legitimacy and undermines the fact that of all of the social institutions available to us police have the greatest potential to pull people together now I I was a young officer when the director was a young officer and the presidential commission reports that were being published in our early years were all about police departments being the flash point of social unrest the flash point of accusations of discrimination the flash point of disorder and senses of unfairness flash points of brutality we were seen as a divisive force in a divisive Time It's Our obligation now to be just the opposite and because we can be seen as doing good for every community and dealing effectively with those communities problems so that their children can have the same opportunities as everyone's children those are the things that make us Noble and it is our values not our rules that will we ensure us that we engage in those behaviors so there a moment you'll stand and you'll take this oath and you'll hold your shield in your hand now as you look at it it's shaped like a shield but it's very light this is a shield that can't protect you at all but it's a shield that's meant to protect others it's not simply a badge of office it is in fact not just a symbol of authority instead it is the embodiment of your oath of office and your oath of honor it represents the incredible uh task that you have undertaken which is to protect people to protect Liberty to protect property and to protect neighborhoods it's an awesome task you've agreed to undertake I honor you and all the people in your lives that have produced you to be willing to undertake this calling I salute you for your willingness to try and I wish you the best of luck as you move towards achieving your goal we'll now give the oath of office all right would you please raise your right hands repeat after me hold your left hands out with your shield and the Palm On My Honor on my honor I will never betray my badge I will never betray my badge my Integrity my Integrity my character my character for the public trust for the public trust I will always have I will always have the courage the courage to hold myself to hold myself myself and others accountable and others accountable for our actions for our actions I will uphold the Constitution I will uphold the Constitution protect my community protect my community and accomplish the mission and accomplish the mission of the Milwaukee Police Department of the Milwaukee Police Department in service to that mission in service to that mission I will demonstrate confidence I will demonstrate confidence have courage have courage be a person of Integrity be a person of Integrity exhibit leadership exhibit leadership show respect show respect and act with restraint and act with restraint this is my solemn vow this is myow front half right f six