City of Statesville Public Safety Academy Wraps Up with Graduation Celebration

The City of Statesville officially wrapped up its 2025 Public Safety Academy with a special graduation ceremony and dinner held last week at Fire Station 1.

We extend a big thank you to all of the participants who dedicated their time over the past several weeks to learning about the vital work of our Police and Fire Departments. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to understanding public safety in our community were inspiring.

We also want to give a special thank you to all of the instructors and department staff who helped make this year’s academy a success. From classroom instruction to hands-on demonstrations, your efforts provided participants with a valuable behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to serve and protect the residents of Statesville.

Graduates were joined by their friends and family, along with members of the Statesville Police Department, Statesville Fire Department, and Mayor Costi Kutteh to celebrate their accomplishments during the graduation ceremony and dinner.

This year’s Public Safety Academy graduates are:

• Tara Lohwater
• Seth MacLean
• Kelce McDaniel
• Karen Morris
• Michael Morris
• Tabitha Taylor
• Rhonda Thomas
• Brian Wertman

Congratulations to each of you on your achievement!

The Public Safety Academy is designed to build stronger relationships between our public safety teams and the community. Participants had the opportunity to explore everything from patrol operations and investigations to fire suppression and emergency response.

We are proud of this year’s graduates and look forward to offering the Public Safety Academy again in the future!