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Three new Virginia State Troopers graduating in the 137th class Friday, Jan. 27 have links to Suffolk.

In all 31 troopers received their diplomas, with two of those from Suffolk and two set to be assigned here. The commencement exercises were held at the State Police Training Academy in North Chesterfield County with Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaking at the ceremony.

A state police news release said that Luke Douglas Heard of Suffolk and Brandon Lee Collins, both of Suffolk, are two of the new graduates. Heard is being assigned to the Hampton/Newport News area, while Collins will join troopers covering Portsmouth/Suffolk/Chesapeake.

One other member of the class is slated to join troopers serving the Portsmouth/Suffolk/Chesapeake area. Once Williams Rallins IV of New York, New York graduates, he will be working in the local area.

The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations, the news release explained. The members of the 137th Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the academy June 30, 2022.

The 137th Basic Session graduates are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York and the countries of the Dominican Republic and Egypt.

Upon graduation, the new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments across Virginia. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.

The other members of the 137th basic graduating class are: Ahmad Mahmoud Abuali from Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, to be assigned to Springfield; Devon Gene Bridger of North Port, Florida, to be assigned to Shenandoah; Barry Joseph Calamusa of Remlap, Alabama, to be assigned to Page; Shannon Kelley Callahan of Leesburg, to be assigned to Accomack; Jonathan Seth Carrington of South Boston, to be assigned to Sussex; William Guy Chester of Warrenton, to be assigned to York; Candy Estefani Cruceta of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to be assigned to James City; Trevor Thomas Cullen of Fishkill, New York, to be assigned to Arlington/Fairfax; Jacob Alexander Culp of Forest, to be assigned to Gloucester; Keith William Damian of Fairfax, to be assigned to Springfield; Devin Matthew Dews of Appomattox, to be assigned to Amelia; Shane Daniel Drayton of Manahawkin, New Jersey, to be assigned to Lancaster; Cody Lawrence Fisher of Halifax, to be assigned to Halifax; Caleb Alexander Hubbard of Meadows of Dan, to be assigned to Greensville; Carson Alexander Jeffris of Fairfax, to be assigned to Orange; Bryce Zachary Johnson of Fairfax, to be assigned to Albemarle; Caleb Owen Konopa of Winchester, to be assigned to Albemarle; Caroline VanOsten Lehman of Natural Bridge, to be assigned to Louisa; Zackary James Lehman of Christiansburg, to be assigned to Hanover/Henrico; Dustin Blaine Mays of Rockbridge, to be assigned to Charlotte; Gilson Alexander Maza Jaramillo of Newark, NewJersey, to be assigned to Westmoreland; William Aaron Miller of Summersville, to be assigned to Hanover/Henrico; Ronald Blake Murphy of Culpeper, to be assigned to Orange; Trey Royal Sullivan of New London, Connecticut, to be assigned to Surry; Cong Thien Truong of Oakland, California, to be assigned to Hampton/Newport News; David Matthew Vaeth of Blue Ridge, to be assigned to Pittsylvania; Mallory Ann Yowell of Charlottesville, to be assigned to Mathews; and George Fouad Zaki of Cairo, Egypt, to be assigned to Hanover/Henrico.