LAWRENCE, Indiana — More police officers will soon be on patrol in Lawrence.
13News was there Monday afternoon for the swearing-in ceremony of 12 new officers.
The recruit class is the largest in department history.
City leaders call it an important milestone, which comes at a time when police departments across the country are facing an officer shortage.
Lawrence Mayor Deb Whitfield also pointed out the diversity among the recruits.
"I'm very excited to see that," Whitfield said. "Breaking barriers is very important to us. We need to start looking like the city that we serve, and so when we see that, it's very exciting for us."
The new class of recruits includes eight full-time officers and four reserves. They emerged as the top of a class that started began with more than 200 candidates for the positions.