By Jane LaTour

As the graduates filed into the auditorium of the Police Academy Aug. 26, they were on the road to achieving two milestones, personal career victories and major progress as the newest members of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549.

Civilianization—replacing Police Officers in clerical jobs with civilian employees - has long been a goal for Local 1549 and DC 37. Lillian Roberts, DC 37's executive director, stressed civilianization in "We Can Do The Work," the "white paper" she released in May during budget deliberations. The detailed analysis showed that huge savings are available to the city when clericals replace cops in non-enforcement duties.

Gloria Williams, Local 1549 Shop Steward at the Police Academy, expressed her satisfaction with the progress: "I'm very glad to see that they're hiring more civilians. It's about time!"

The graduates, members of the first class under the new city budget to successfully complete the six-week PAA training program, were welcomed to the ranks by Deputy Commissioner of Training, James J. Fyfe. "We welcome you as full-fledged members of the Department," he said.

Goals of the graduates
The ceremony marked an important personal landmark for the graduates. Delois Locus was formerly a paraprofessional with the Board of Education. The mother of two acknowledges that she's had a hard time in her young life. "Now I plan to excel. There are so many opportunities out here for growth - for me and my children."

Thea Sevastos is optimistic. A former School Crossing Guard, she likes working with the NYPD and "meeting all kinds of people." She sees it as another way of helping people.

Carmen Whichard is pinning her dreams for the future on her new job. Formerly a temp, the mother of three hopes to purchase a hand-controlled car that she can drive. Disabled at 2 by polio, Whichard used a scooter to get around at the Police Academy. Now she looks forward to working with the public and assuming her new responsibilities at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn.

The PAA students faced some daunting obstacles—returning to school, taking many classes at the same time, and finding the discipline to do homework at night. In her address to the graduating class, Valedictorian Daisy Farmer, an immigrant from India, echoed the sentiments of her fellow graduates: "I'm honored to serve the public. I'm trying to move up."

Local 1549's goal is to have 800 new PAAs on the job and in the union by July 1, 2003. "We are making progress toward saving millions of dollars as well as providing these members with tremendous opportunities," said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.