NORFOLK, Neb. -- Two new officers have joined the ranks of the Norfolk Police Division, bringing the total to 31. After months of rigorous training, Jake Bartosh and Stuart Hasemann were sworn in on Wednesday, January 22nd.

Both Bartosh and Hasemann expressed their enthusiasm for serving the community and what it means to carry the badge.

“It's awesome to be here. Norfolk is a great community," Bartosh said. "It's different from a lot of other communities and that's one of the great things about being here in Norfolk. The relationship with all your coworkers, although I haven't been here terribly long, just since the start of December, I already feel a bond with so many of my coworkers and it's just a great feeling to know that they're there if I need them.”

“To me, it's huge because it's an opportunity for me to give back," Hasemann said. "For this career, this is something I looked forward to my whole life. To actually get the badge and the gun and the cuffs and be able to help others out in the community, it's a dream come true.”

Now that they are officially sworn in, the new officers will start their first day of work. After two more months of on-the-job training, Officers Bartosh and Hasemann will be given keys to their own squads and sent to patrol the streets unsupervised.