ODESSA, Texas — It was a big day for the Odessa Police Department on Thursday, as future officers faced an obstacle to join the team.
They had to drive patrol cars through an obstacle of cones without hitting any of the cones. They had to do it in under four minutes and 20 seconds.
If they hit any of the cones or went over the time limit, they would have to start over.
"The academy has been very stressful, but very rewarding," said Alejandro Alvarado, an OPD recruit. "We have about two more months until we see graduation, we'll finally see the finish line. Then we'll go on to FTO (Field Training Officer Program), that would be about six months and from there we will be on the streets all by ourselves."
So far, one future OPD officer has passed, and the rest are nervous but eager to pass and move forward.