Former Cleveland Jailer Is 50-Year-Old Academy Graduate

Officer Karl Lloyd prepares to begin his patrol shift. Law enforcement is a second career for the 50-year-old recruit. Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Division of Police.

Karl Lloyd began patrol duties on Monday with the Cleveland Division of Police, and he wasn't the typical rookie officer.

Lloyd arrived at the department five months before his 51st birthday; he will be the last officer to graduate that late in life, as the academy now only accepts cadets at 39 years old or younger, The Plain Dealer reports.

Lloyd will ride in a three-man car his first week on patrol in the southeast section of the city. A field training officer (FTO) will provide him training on pursuing stolen vehicles, operating a mobile-data terminal (MDT) and other tasks, officer Nancy Dominik tells POLICE Magazine.

Next week, Lloyd will be assigned a car and given a zone within the southeastern section to patrol.

Prior to completing the 26-week academy, Lloyd escorted prisoners inside the city's jails. It was Lloyd's lifelong dream to join the Cleveland Division of Police.

Update: Listen to our podcast with Officer Lloyd.

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