Hiring new police officers has proven to be a trying task for Ceres Police Chief Brent Smith but headway was made last week with the swearing in of Matthew Myers, Kyle Morris and Nicolas Welsh.

Chief Smith conducted a swearing-in ceremony to install the three new officers on Monday morning, Sept. 24.

“They’re going to be in training about 13 weeks,” said Chief Smith.

Kyle Morris, whose father has 24 years of service with the Livermore Police Department, graduated from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Academy in February. After he graduated from Sierra High School in Manteca, Kyle spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force as an electrical power production craftsman. He had served in Iraq and Germany and is currently in the Air Force Reserves. In his spare time Morris enjoys hiking, kayaking, backpacking, camping, painting, drawing and doing mechanical work.

Matthew Myers was a Ceres Police Department explorer scout from 2008 to 2011 while he attended Ceres High School. After serving as a Security Forces member of the Air Force for six years and being deployed twice to Afghanistan, Matt graduated from the Napa Police Academy on last month. He also is in the Air Force Reserves. In his spare time Myers enjoys spending time outdoors, working on cars, going to new places and visiting with family and friends.

Ceres High School graduate Nicolas Welsh has been a Modesto Police officer for a year. He spent four years in the Army as an infantryman with the 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry divisions. He and wife Marissa have two young children, Michael, 3, and Charlotte, five months. Welsh said he enjoys his family, spending time outdoors and sports.

Chief Smith said he’s in the process of hiring more officers to fill vacancies from those who have left and two new officers budgeted for this fiscal cycle. Two candidates are in academies and are set to graduate in February. Another candidate is undergoing a background check.

“This is the first time we’ve sent recruits to the academy in several years,” said Smith.