TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – Twin Falls has six new police officers. They were welcomed and sworn into office during a ceremony at the City Council meeting on Monday.

Police Chief Craig Kingsbury introduced the officers and gave them their badges, but not before he reminded them of a few things.

“As you have heard me say at these ceremonies in the past,” he told the council, “the swearing in of a police officer is one of few occupations where a person raises his right hand under oath.”

Then drawing his remarks to the officers, he said:

“One thing I’d like to remind the new officers is that the badge is a very important part of the police profession. It serves as a shield that we wear over our left breast as if it were over our heart.”

The patch police officers wear also is important.

You’re not only taking the oath to our profession and great city, but our great families behind us.

“It represents the great history of Twin Falls and the men and women who’ve served before us,” the police chief said.

But, Kingsbury continued, there’s something on an officer’s uniform that is more important than either the badge or patch: the nameplate.

“You’re not only taking the oath to our profession and great city,” Kingsbury told the officers, “but our great families behind us.”

He told them to remember where they came from, the family members who support them in their duties, and the legacy they leave upon their name.

After introductions, each of the six officers – Braxton Christensen, Daniel Clifford, Candace Comeau, Tyler Kraft, Dzevad Mandzic and Shauna Peterson – recognized family members who were in the audience.

“Welcome,” Kingsbury said. “Welcome to the family.”

Mayor Shawn Barigar conducted the swearing-in ceremony, welcoming the officers to the city and their new positions.

In response to a question posed by Councilman Chris Talkington, Kingsbury said the department is down in the number of officers by only one. In recent months, additional police have been sworn into office.

“There are a lot of new faces in the department,” he said.

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