WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - Wichita's police force just got a lot stronger. Twenty-two men and women graduated from the Wichita Police Department Academy after months of rigorous training. They will now go through four months of field training with senior officers before they can patrol the streets on their own. "I know everybody's a little bit nervous just because we want to prove ourselves, we want to do our job well, and we want to reflect well on the training staff and on the department," said Paul Terpstra, a WPD academy graduate. WPD received over $360k to help address violence The Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said the department is still about 40 officers short, but he is encouraged by the increase in recruiting and the quality of the new officers. "These 22 young men and women have a lot to be proud of that they have been tested quite severely, and they have come out ahead, they've made the grade, and they've earned the right to wear our badge," said Chief Sullivan. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here.