Fifteen deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office reserve program will graduate during a special ceremony at 6 p.m. tonight, October 4, at Summer Grove Baptist Church. Joining them will be one reserve deputy from DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office and one part-time deputy from Winnfield Police Department.  

Reserve deputies are unpaid volunteers with the department but have the same training and arrest powers as full-time officers. Graduates of thecurrent Reserve Academy have been meeting Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays since March 29th.

They have a tremendous amount of dedication to serve their community and its citizens but are often prohibited from doing so full-time because of other obligations," Prator said. "Our reserve force is a valuable part of the Caddo Sheriff's Office. We call upon them regularly for extra patrols or operations that would otherwise cost us greatly in overtime and manpower."

Participants in the reserve program receive training in criminal law and procedures, search and seizure, firearms qualification, use of force, chemical weapons, self defense, report writing, directing traffic, emergency vehicle operations, and more. 

Graduates of the current class are John T. Briery, James C. Carrington, John L. Dean, Charles N. Everett, Cynthia W. Fortson, James L. Fortson Jr., Adam J. Hall, Shamanda J. Holmes, Joey R. Presley, Sean P. Smith, Kerry J. Sweet, Steven T. Viola, James L. Wadsworth, Andrew S. Whaley, and Reese Woodel, all of the Caddo Sheriff's Office.

Other graduates are Roy E. Thigpen, reserve deputy for the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office, and Cassidy F. Martin, part-time police officer for the Winnfield Police Department.