Community News

The Concord Police Department welcomed 16 new officers and announced the promotion of two Master Police Officers to the rank of Sergeant during a ceremony at City Hall on Tuesday, July 1.

The 16 newly sworn officers joining the Concord Police Department are: Jose Alvarado, Layton Clouse, Matthew Watson, Edgar Baide Jr., Addison Lee, Michael Witte, Liam Hurely, Justin Perez, Evan Godfrey, Susi Ruiz, Leslie Ruiz, Karolin Lopez- Azamar, Brianna Glock, Jason Higgins, Averie Dibenedetto, and Jair Aguirre-Roman. The new class of officers includes two Army National Guard members and two veterans who served in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps.

The 16 officers successfully completed their Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) together earlier this year. During the ceremony, Police Chief Jimmy Hughes spoke of the tremendous leadership and teamwork the class from Concord demonstrated throughout their time together at BLET.

“The way you all looked out for each other and stayed united is the reason the number of you were successful in graduating. Not only did we have all our BLET students, but everyone who participated and made it to the state test all graduated BLET. That was 33 out of 33. That’s unheard of, and it’s really because of what you all did. The way you carried yourself, being nearly half the class is I think the reason that 33 out of 33 graduated BLET,” said Chief Hughes.

The Chief continued by encouraging the newly sworn officers to remember that teamwork as they go into their field training.

“There’s going to be up days and there’s going to be down days, and when you have those down days reach out to each other, look to each other and take care of each other, and continue that throughout your careers,” said Hughes.

At the ceremony, the Concord Police Department also announced the promotion of Master Police Officers Jazmine Missouri and Tracy Cruz to the rank of Sergeant.

Sergeant Missouri began her law enforcement career in 2018 working for the Greensboro Police Department before joining the Concord Police Department in 2022. Sergeant Missouri worked in the patrol bureau in the David District, served as a School Resource Office at West Cabarrus High School, was a member of the Youth Police Academy Committee, and mentor and Program Coordinator for the Cadet Program where she advised and trained over 15 Cadets. In January 2024, Sgt. Missouri joined the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, and in March 2024 she joined the Concord PD recruiting unit where, because of her efforts, 53 new officers have joined the Concord Police Department. Sergeant Missouri is a Community Service Award and a CPI Security Impact Award recipient and is currently pursuing her master’s degree from Liberty University. 

Sergeant Cruz began his law enforcement career with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in the detention center. Wanting to be on patrol, Sergeant Cruz joined the Concord Police Department in 2016. He has worked as a patrol officer in all four districts across the city. He was promoted to Master Police Officer in 2021 and took a position with the airport unit where he worked until June 2025. Sergeant Cruz is a member of the mobile field force unit and is one of the Department’s Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) drivers.  Sergeant Cruz is known for being a team player who is always willing to help his fellow officers. He takes pride in being someone who can leverage his experiences from past assignments to help younger or newer officers grow in their careers at the Concord Police Department. Sergeant Cruz is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Liberty University. He is married to his wife Kelly, and they have two children.