Apopka Police Department hires seven new officers

From the Apopka Police Department

The Apopka Police Department swore-in seven new officers on Monday, and introduced them to the community at the City Council meeting on Wednesday. This brings the APD to 106 sworn officers, and room in the 2017-18 fiscal budget to hire two more.

Here is a brief bio of all seven new APD officers:

Officer Brian Kennedy Jr. was born in Orlando and has lived in Apopka since the age of four. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends. His favorite hobbies are hunting and fishing. Kennedy has an AA degree from Valencia Community College and plans on continuing his education to eventually obtain a bachelors degree in business management. Kennedy has wanted to be a police officer since the age of 10, and after attending the City of Apopka's youth police Academy that goal was bolstered. Upon graduating from the police academy at Seminole State College he joined the Apopka Police Department. He is very excited and grateful to be able to work for the City of Apopka and can't wait to see where his new career takes him.

Officer Austin Bitter was born and raised in Leesburg where he attended Lake County schools and ran track and cross-country. After high school, Bitter attended the Police Academy at Lake Technical College. After the Academy, he was hired by the Eustis Police Department where he worked on road patrol and the special enforcement unit for the last five years. During his time off, Bitter enjoys being outdoors and fishing. He is excited to start his career with the Apopka Police Department.

Officer Emmanuel Sosa was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where he lived for 12 years before moving to Kissimmee. By the age of 22, he had gained an abundance of experience in law enforcement as an Explorer with the Kissimmee Police Department. After being an Explorer for five years he attended Police Academy at Seminole State College. Now a proud officer for the city of Apopka, Sosa plans to be proactive, as well as a go-getter. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and pursuing his hobby of being a car enthusiast. In the future, Sosa plans to continue pursuing his bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida

Officer Matthew Beretto was born in New York and moved to Orlando when he was seven years old. He is the third oldest child out of six siblings. Barretto attended and graduated from Lake Mary High School in 2009. He worked as a loss prevention agent for six years and three of those years were at the Beall's Department Store in Apopka. His passion for law enforcement led him to join and graduate from the poPolicecademy at Seminole State College. He plans on continuing his education and eventually wants to earn his bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Officer Miranda Wrinkle comes to the Apopka Police Department after successfully completing the Police Academy at Seminole State College. She graduated from Trinity Catholic high school in 2012, and for the last five years worked in the health and wellness industry. One of the things she hopes to accomplish as an Apopka Police Officer is to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community.

Officer Katie Calamo was born in China and adopted at the age of 2 1/2 years old. Although she was raised on Long Island New York, in 2015 she decided to come down to Florida to pursue her education and in 2017 she graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. While attending UCF, she was a member of the National Criminal Justice Association, where her passion for law enforcement was sparked by the networking opportunities she encountered. Shortly after her time at UCF, Calamo enrolled in the basic law enforcement Academy at Seminole State College. She is beginning her law enforcement career with the Apopka Police Department and looks forward to growing with the agency.

Officer Jacob Miller was born and raised in Apopka. After graduating from Wekiva High School in 2014, he worked at Universal Orlando Resorts as an Attractions Lead where he was also a Loss Prevention Officer. In 2017, Miller attended Seminole State College for the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. His inspiration to become a police officer with the Apopka Police Department comes from his family's extensive 20-year history with the department. His grandmother worked for the Apopka Police Department as the records supervisor and his mother currently works in the department's records section. Miller would like nothing more than to carry on the legacy the rest of his family has created by leaving a positive impact on the community.