The UCF Public Safety team welcomed three new officers at a swearing-in ceremony last week, which was attended by family, friends and colleagues.
“This can be a tough job, but it’s one that we love,” says UCF Police Chief Carl Metzger ’03MS. “I welcome our three newest officers, and I have no doubt that the future of this agency will be in great hands with talent like you coming on board.”
The new officers will be assigned to the patrol division upon completion of their field-training program, where they will spend several weeks paired with senior officers to receive hands-on experience out in the field before graduating to solo patrol.
Meet the Officers
- Originally from the Dominican Republic, Jonthy Candelario now calls Orlando home. He graduated from Orlando Christian Prep and served with the Orlando Police Department before joining UCF. He chose UCF because he recognized it was a great place to learn and grow in his career while impacting the community through events and outreach. A fun fact — Candelario is a basketball referee at the collegiate level.
- Sticking near his hometown roots of Deland, Florida, Patrick Daunt joins UCFPD after serving with the Oviedo Police Department. He says he understands how transformative and challenging college can be and looks forward to building community relationships. He wants students to feel comfortable and turn to him for help, support and guidance. In his free time, Daunt enjoys playing board games with his children.
- Andres Uzcategui comes to UCFPD after serving with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. He is originally from Venezuela and has always been passionate about helping others in his community, so he was drawn to law enforcement. Uzcategui looks forward to working with students, faculty, staff and visitors at UCF, meeting a new student population every four years. Outside of work, he enjoys working on cars and attending car shows.
A live stream of the swearing-in ceremony can be viewed here.
