Graduation exercises for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy will take place at 4 p.m., November 2nd, at Calvary Baptist Church, 9333 Linwood Avenue in Shreveport. Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator will be the guest speaker.
The graduates make up the 50th basic training class to complete the Sheriff’s Training Academy since the program began in October of 2001.
Nine agencies will be represented on Tuesday when graduates take the oath of office, receive their badges, and participate in a special ceremony where family and friends assist them with pinning on their badges for the first time. Class participants received 536 hours or more of peace officer training in areas including law, patrol activities, traffic services, report writing, investigations, firearms, first aid, and criminal justice.
Graduates are: Johnathan Clark, Madjun Cooper, John Flash, Princess Lane, Tyler Lummus, Jacob Vaitkus, and Jaasmine Wilson, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office; Brooklyn Freeman, Dakota McGarity, and Jarratt Palmer, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office; Dillon Foshee and William McMellon, Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office; Macaulay Greer and Kristopher Lindsey, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office; Eddie Wise, Arcadia Police Department; Joshua Rogers, Florien Police Department; Jon Levy, Grambling State Police Department; Edward Bennett, Zwolle Police Department; Rashad Wortham, Sierra Wright, and Hillary Wysinger, Office of Juvenile Justice.
The Caddo Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy has graduated 1,195 law enforcement officers from its basic training course over the past 20 years. Thousands more have attended the Academy for job retraining and refresher courses.
“When we opened, I said that peace officers begin to develop their disposition toward policing on the first day they walk into the classroom. I still believe that to be true,” Sheriff Prator said. “It is an awesome responsibility that our Academy staff has, and I couldn’t be prouder of the quality of training they provide.”
The Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council in Baton Rouge approved the opening of the Caddo Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy allowing CPSO to provide state-required basic training for its recruits and those from other agencies in the 10-parish region. Since then the Academy has trained deputies and officers from 61 law enforcement agencies.
Becoming a regional Academy was no easy task. POST officials inspected the Caddo facility’s guidelines, curriculum, building, and instructors’ credentials before making the designation. Lesson plans for the 320-hour basic curriculum were written from scratch. District attorneys, federal prosecutors, and other legal minds were recruited to teach the law.
Over the years, and at the urging of Sheriff Prator who served on the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, the curriculum for all new officers in the state grew to more than 600 hours. Training now includes courses such as crisis intervention, diversity in the community, and de-escalation.
