Mayor Ben Marciano officially swore in nine new police officers at the Ocala Police Department on Monday, welcoming a recruit class where more than half of the new additions are women.
During a ceremony held on Monday, August 17, each of the nine recruits took a formal oath promising to uphold their law enforcement duties with integrity, courage, and character as they join the ranks of the city’s police force.
The department’s newest sworn officers include five women (Ofc. Shelby Devereaux, Ofc. Amanda Dixon, Ofc. Erica Guerrero, Ofc. Morgan Howard, and Ofc. Ashlyn Westgate), alongside Ofc. Cody Ashby, Ofc. Michael Carder, Ofc. Trenton Covey, and Ofc. Ethan Gregerson…