The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is set to welcome its largest recruit class in at least a decade when 25 CPSO trainees report to work next week.

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said three of the new hires are former Bossier City police officers recently laid off from their jobs across the river due to budget cuts. Because they are already POST certified, they will skip basic training at the Sheriff's Regional Training Academy and immediately begin the field training officer program at Caddo Correctional Center. 

The FTO program can last up to 10 weeks. Deputies participate in hands-on training pertaining to daily jail operations. They'll work in all areas of CCC, including booking, medical, intake, general population, and special housing.

After successful completion of the program, they will receive two additional weeks of Academy training to become POST certified to work in a jail. Afterward, they will be employed in the Security Division at CCC.
The CPSO recruits participating in basic training will report to the Training Academy at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to begin 13 weeks of instruction. They will join 25 additional trainees from other agencies also attending the Sheriff's Regional Academy.

All new CPSO hires, including the former Bossier City officers, will be at the Sheriff's Personnel Office at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday to complete employment paperwork.

Prator said the department is looking to hire even more deputies due to attrition. "As people retire and move on, we are constantly in search of deputies dedicated to public service," he said.

For more information on employment with the Caddo Sheriff's Office, contact the Personnel Office at 681-0830 or go to www.caddosheriff.org.