The Excelsior Springs Police Department (ESPD) has welcomed a new officer, a recent graduate of the Kansas City Regional Academy (KCRA). Deven Bierle, 23, will be trained by Field Training Officer Miles Reed beginning Feb. 12. Bierle said he went through an application process to be sent to the KCRA program through ESPD. Lieutenant Ryan Dowdy explained once the hiring process for a potential police officer is completed, ESPD covers the expense of attending the academy and they are paid a recruitment salary as a full-time employee for the city of Excelsior Springs. “I didn’t like the career I had before and I figured now was as good of time as any to go for it,” Bierle stated. Bierle moved to Excelsior Springs from California in 2013 and is excited to be working in the town he lives. “I like the feeling of a small town and being able to be comfortable in a location I’m familiar with,” he said. Married to Gracie Bierle, the officer said she was his biggest supporter in changing…