Regional police welcome new members, including former 570 talk host Eric Drozd

Seven new Constables took the oath of office Wednesday afternoon, as they were officially welcomed to the ranks of Regional Police.

Among them was former talk show host on 570 NEWS, Eric Drozd.

Drozd spent three years hosting a four-hour daily talk show on our station, asking the tough questions behind the mic, before signing off one final time to pursue police training.

He’ll now answer to the community, as one of the new recruits sworn in at a special badging ceremony at the Breslaw Community Centre.

Drozd says he knew early on, growing up in Mississauga, that he wanted to be a police officer.

“I went to a community event — I can’t remember what it was — but I remember an officer letting me sit in a cruiser,” he says. “That’s my earliest memory of ‘hey this is cool, I kind of want to do this someday.'”

Drozd says the new officers underwent more than six months of training, including 13 weeks at the Ontario Police College.

“That’s where you learn all of the skills you’re going to utilize someday as a police officer — driving and use of force and things like that,” says Drozd. “Then we come back to Waterloo and learn some more for another five weeks.”

He says he’s most looking forward to getting out on the road with his field development officer to put his new skills to the test.

“It’s taken a long time,” he says, “but I’m here now so I’m very excited.”