The St. Paul Police Department has 12 new police officers as of Thursday night.

The officers went through a 16-week academy and were officially sworn in at a graduation ceremony held at Harding High School.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke with Michael Judd, one of the new officers whose father is a longtime St. Paul police chaplain.

“I did feel like law enforcement was my own path and my own calling but i did hear a lot about the police department from my dad because he had worked in it,” Judd said. “He was just a bank of knowledge and a wealth of knowledge.”

The officers will hit the streets starting this weekend.