The Richmond Police Department is gaining some badly needed reinforcements.

Sixteen recruits are to graduate from the training academy this week and immediately join the ranks of the department. They are the first of more than 70 new officers who are expected to join the city police force in the next nine months.

“When these recruits entered training July 1, I said that graduation day couldn’t come fast enough. Well, that day has finally arrived, ” Chief Alfred Durham told the Free Press.

“We are truly excited to have these new officers who are ready to serve and protect,” Chief Durham said Monday as he prepared to welcome the new officers at the graduation ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Statistics from the department show how much the 16 new officers — and a 17th who was injured and will join after he recovers and finishes the academy — are needed at a time when the department is battling a spike in crime.

As of Jan. 16, the department reported having 715 sworn officers on its rolls, or 35 short of the authorized strength of 750.

However, 28 of those 715 officers were unavailable due to military service, injury or disciplinary action, while 37 are listed as recruits in training, including the 16 new graduates, the department stated.

The bottom line: The department had 650 officers and detectives available for duty, down six from the reported December strength of 656 officers as the result of resignations and retirements.

The graduating recruits will boost the department’s available strength to 666 officers, but those graduates will not be assigned immediately to the streets on their own.

“They will be in field training for eight weeks — paired with an experienced officer,” said Gene Lepley, police department spokesman. “That means they will not be on their own until mid-March.”

Until then, the actual available strength will be around 650, the smallest number in recent years.

Still, their presence will be a start in rebuilding the force.

Currently, a second recruit class of 18 is in training, according to Chief Durham.

The class started in November, with graduation expected in May, he said.

Two more classes of 20 each are to start in the next month or so, and a total of 40 recruits could graduate between July and September, if all goes well. This would be the first time the academy would have three classes in training at one time, the chief said.

Richmond City Council last month approved spending $1.7 million to enable Chief Durham to start those two new classes and committed to providing an additional $1.7 million in the 2017-18 budget that will begin July 1 to cover the full cost of training and adding 40 officers to the force. – JEREMY M. LAZARUS