Hampton Police Officer Gilberto Luna, Jr. Graduates 310th Basic Academy

Published by editor on Tue, 08/22/2023 - 10:55am

Gilberto Luna, Jr. is pictured accepting his certification from Brady Carney, Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Director with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, right, August 18th at the 310th ILEA Basic Academy Graduation in West Des Moines.

By:

Matt Grohe

Hampton Chronicle

Hampton Police Officer Gilberto Luna, Jr. has graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy’s 310th Basic Academy. Luna was presented his certificate of graduation by ILEA Director Brad Carney in a ceremony Friday, August 18th, at Valley Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.

The ceremony was officiated by ILEA Director Brad Carney, who awarded diplomas, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird who gave remarks and congratulated graduates, as well as other ILEA staff. Bird thanked the officers for their efforts to “save lives, to provide justice, order, and to keep people safe,” while “not even knowing the people you are serving.” Bird also expressed her personal gratitude to the officers for “holding the line between good and evil, between justice and chaos, and between right and wrong,” adding that the officers were heroes, not just to her and those assembled, but “to the whole state of Iowa.”

Luna’s graduation Friday marked the end of 16 weeks of education at the academy, comprising 636 hours of instruction and training, spread across 97 training modules. With the completion of the program Luna is now a certified police officer in the State of Iowa. Iowa law requires the successful completion of training at an approved law enforcement training facility such as ILEA for officers to become certified. With his certification, Luna joins the ranks of Iowa’s 6,517 certified peace officers.

Luna’s 301th class of 34 at the academy ran alongside the 309th from May 1, 2023 to August 18, 2023, but had separate graduations. During the 16 weeks of the academy recruits lived on site at the training facility in Des Moines while training Monday-Friday, and returning home on weekends.

Luna is from Hampton and graduated Hampton-Dumont CAL in 2015. Luna joined the department full time in late February of this year after working as an English-Spanish translator for the department for several years on an as needed basis. Luna said he got interested in joining the force after doing translation work with them and seeing that he could help out the community in the role of peace officer. Luna is the department’s only bi-lingual officer at present.

On hand at the graduation ceremony in West Des Moines Friday were Gilberto’s mother Pilar Torres, father Gilberto Luna Santos, cousin Jovani Torres and several other family members. Hampton Police Chief Mark Morrison was also present to congratulate the newly graduated recruit.

To complete the ceremony family members were given the officers badge, to pin over the hearts to protect them as they protect others. Securing Luna’s badge was his mother Pilar, whose pride was evident as she carefully pinned the shield to his uniform. At that moment Luna’s carefully maintained composure softened and changed from that of officer, to that of son, and he smiled broadly as he stood before his mother, newly adorned and accredited.

Graduating with Luna, Jr. in the 310th were the following fellow officers:

Conrad Lawrence Akers, Linn County Sheriff's Office

Paige Eileen Barnett, Story County Sheriff's Office

Isaiah George Birdwell, Marshalltown Police Department

Cody Robert Braunschweig,Boone County Sheriff's Office

Rylie Shawn Bryant, Boone Police Department

Braydon Avery Chance, Newton Police Department

Zachary Ryan Chase, Glenwood Police Department

Mitchell Allen Cole, Meskwaki Nation Police Department

Brandon Trung Dizon, Ottumwa Police Department

Boston John Draper, Mason City Police Department

Philip Andrew Dunlap, Keokuk Police Department