BATON ROUGE - Students attending the Baton Rouge Police Department's Citizen Academy graduated Tuesday night.

They were called up one by one to receive the award, a BRPD patch, and a commemorative coin. Eight weeks prior, the group started their journey to learn what it takes to be an officer.

They participated in demonstrations and reflected on real life scenarios from those in the field. Former police chief Jeff LeDuff sent them off hoping they'll inspire each other to join the program.