By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor
As part of the largest graduating class in the history of Oakland Police Academy, Amy Losey was especially honored to receive the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award.
“The class we had was really spectacular, so to be the recipient of the Award was definitely an honor,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting anything, so it was really cool to be chosen in a class that size. It’s definitely taken off some the financial burden.”
The $500 Weiler Scholarship Award is sponsored by the POLC. It’s awarded at the discretion of the police academy to graduates who have not been sponsored by any police agency. 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.
Losey earned a 94.8 percent grade point average. She was among 65 graduating cadets on Dec. 8, 2022 in a class that included 39 who were sponsored by police agencies and 26 pre-service cadets. She served as a squad leader in the Academy, a role she was prepared for by her experience as a U.S. Army Military Police Officer from 2007-2012. Deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a gunner, she also served as a semi-covert Drug Suppression Team Investigator at Fort Drum, Criminal Investigation Division.
“On day 1 of the police academy, I was selected, along with five others, to serve as a squad leader,” she said. “Some of my responsibilities included: maintaining accountability of the 10 members of my squad; disseminating information provided by the instructors; and being their first line supervisor to address any issues they had. Being a squad leader was a very rewarding position and I appreciate the opportunity that my role afforded me.”
“She consistently demonstrated leadership skills, integrity and a committed work ethic,” said Oakland Police Academy Director David Ceci. “Amy also showed a great deal of empathy and compassion for her fellow classmates while also being a firm leader ensuring academy standards were met.”
Losey left the military in 2012 to have children and stay home with them. She’s also filled that time volunteering. “I am the Vice President of the Parent Teacher Organization at my children’s school, a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and a Troy Youth Soccer League Coach. Giving back to the community is important to me and my family,” she wrote in a letter of appreciation to the POLC.
“She is just an overall decent person,” Ceci said. “She is someone you enjoy talking and working with. In a class of some very standout individuals, she was one of the shining examples in the academy.”
Losey also received the $500 Leroy and Carole Salowich Scholarship. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Oakland University and plans to use her Weiler Scholarship Award to further her education in a year or two. Right now she’s focused on her new position with Troy Police Department, where she began work Jan. 9, 2023.
“This scholarship means a lot to me, and your generosity has inspired me to pursue my master’s degree in Criminal Justice,” she wrote to the POLC. “I will work very hard to be a life-long learner and give back to my community. One day, I would like to be able to provide financial relief to students in my position. I greatly appreciate your support.”
RECORD GRADUATING CLASS
POLC-represented Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety benefitted from Oakland Police Academy’s record-setting graduating class. “Bloomfield Hills Public Safety had three sponsored cadets. We’re fully staffed right now, so we’re really lucky,” said Bloomfield Hills Police Captain Jeff Gormley, a POLC Executive Committee member. “There were a lot of sponsored candidates. It was great to see the diversity in the academy as well.”
“We started with 67 in this class and graduated 65,” Director Ceci said. “We had 14 females in this class. Honestly, our classes are usually in the 50s, so this wasn’t that much larger, but part of it is word of mouth. The students know I am invested in them; the instructors are invested in them. We care about them and their success.”
Losey couldn’t agree more and expressed her sincere gratitude. “The instructors and the Director have been just phenomenal,” she said. “They were really knowledgeable and passionate about what they do every day and it showed. In a graduating class of 65 future officers, they helped each of us in different ways. With the way policing has changed over time … I feel like the Director and instructors are just doing a really great job staying up with times and training future police officers.”
