By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Macomb Community College Police Academy graduate Thomas Shore prepared from a young age to become a police officer in California, but when his family moved to Michigan, he finished the last step here. Shore graduated with a 3.7 GPA from the academy and was selected for the Robert Figurski Award from amongst five pre-service and 28 sponsored police recruits who graduated on May 12, 2025.

“Mr. Shore is a dedicated and hardworking recruit,” said Macomb Police Academy Director Michael Ciaramitaro. “He is committed to becoming a professional law enforcement officer.  He displayed a positive mental attitude throughout the Police Academy, excelling in academics and firearms.”

The $500 Robert Figurski Award, which is sponsored by the POLC, is given twice yearly at the discretion of the police academy to graduating cadets. To qualify, cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards to become certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

“Honestly, I was surprised. I didn’t know I was going to get an award at all,” Shore said. “I’m very grateful for receiving the award.”

The 21-year-old earned his associate degree in Criminal Justice from Victor Valley College in Victorville, California in 2024. He’s been preparing for his career since his older cousin, a San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Deputy, told him about the Police Explorer program through his department.

“He got me into the Explorer program out there just to see how it was,” Shore said. “I was a volunteer for the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Department in California for 5 years or so. I started in 2019. I was 14 at the time. I just never really turned back. From that point on, I knew it was a job I wanted to do. I graduated high school and I was in the program all the way until I moved out.”

“I worked as much as I could. I wasn’t getting paid for it — it was strictly volunteer,” he said. “I was job shadowing officers and helping them out as much as I was allowed to.”

Shore was impressed with the training he received at Macomb Police Academy and feels well-prepared for his duties as a newly hired St. Clair County Sheriff’s Deputy, a position he started May 15th.

“It definitely wasn’t easy, but it was a fun time and I had to work for every bit of everything I could, really,” Shore said of his academy experience. “I would recommend the college to a lot of future recruits. It’s a great academy! The administrative staff and instructors really cared about us, our safety, and how our futures were lined up.”