LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two young Lake County men started the police academy this week as they work to become Lakeport Police officers.

The Lakeport Police Department said Juan Altamirano and Aaron Hodges are the newest recruits in the agency’s police recruits program.

Altamirano and Hodges started work at the police department on Dec. 30 and began their studies at the police academy on Monday, the agency reported.

The two young men were selected during the city’s most recent police trainee recruitment process in the fall.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen introduced the officer trainee program in 2015 in an attempt to retain officers and solve his department’s ongoing short staffing challenges.

Under the auspices of the program, the department pays for the trainees’ academy training, expected to last about 20 weeks.

Lakeport Police Officer Andrew Welter completed the program in 2016 and has remained with the department.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.