HPD Swears In 5 Officers – Hickory Daily Record

HICKORY — Five officers were recently sworn in officially at Hickory Police Department Headquarters, with family and friends in attendance to celebrate the occasion. Officers honored during the ceremony were T. Alex Abernathy, Cameron Beal, Riley Davis, DeAndré McClish and Abel Rivas.

Abernathy completed his Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) at McDowell Technical College after graduation from Appalachian State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a major in environmental sciences and a minor in criminal justice. Abernathy is a McDowell County native who worked as a telecommunicator for Hickory Police Department before moving to the patrol division.

Beal is from Nashville, North Carolina, and graduated from NC Wesleyan College in December 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He completed BLET at Nash Community College. Beal began his career with HPD on Aug. 16.

Davis, from Midland, Texas, joins HPD after completing BLET at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Davis joined HPD on June 8.

McClish, a New Jersey native, completed BLET at Western Piedmont Community College after serving as a U.S. Army recruiter. McClish joined HPD on March 15.

Rivas served for two years at Fayetteville Police Department before joining the Hickory Police Department on Aug. 16.  Rivas holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is a native of Marion.

“Hickory Police Department continues to have high standards and seeks only the best applicants to be members of our department,” said Chief Thurman Whisnant. “We are proud to announce the newest members of our HPD family.”