Some of the 62 graduates and their family members and friends during the graduation at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro on Friday. Courtesy Maine Department of Public Safety

Sixty-two cadets graduated Friday from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.

The 18-week intensive residential program prepares cadets to work in police departments across Maine, said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The class began in August with 70 cadets. The 62 cadets who completed the program include nine women and represent 42 state, county and municipal police agencies from York to Madawaska.

These officers will help address recruitment and retention issues facing public safety departments nationwide, Moss said.