Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Training Academy (BPSTA) graduated 10 law enforcement officers at the academy headquarters in Plain Dealing on Friday, April 28.
Two of those graduates, Savannah Rojas and Braeden Robinson, will be joining Sheriff John Ballance at the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The graduates of BPSTA Class 029 were made up of recruits from the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, Dixie Inn Police Department, Northwestern State University Police Department, and the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office. Two Bossier deputies earned three of the four top awards in this class of graduates: Colton Hunter was the top academic graduate and also the Honor graduate for Class 029 and Christopher Harry was awarded the Physical Fitness award. Braeden Robinson of the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office, the class president, was awarded the Firearms award.
The guest speaker was Judge Doug Stinson, District Court Judge, 26th Judicial District Court. Judge Stinson, who is an adjunct BPSTA instructor, thanked the graduates for their commitment to public service and for their hard work during the academy.
The recruits of Class 029 successfully completed 16 weeks of training to become P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training)-certified law enforcement officers. They learned a myriad of skills, including legal issues, weapons qualifications, physical fitness, non-lethal force, officer survival skills, and much more.
The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Training Academy, formerly known as the North Louisiana Criminal Justice Academy, held its first graduation in 2009. Over the past 14 years, instructors have trained more than 500 recruits to become POST-certified law enforcement officers
Another graduate, Arcadia Police Department officer Brian Wise, also completed his training last week from the Caddo Parish Training Academy (CSRTA). The ceremony was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport.
Eighteen Caddo Sheriff’s deputies graduated and are now equipped to serve the citizens of Caddo Parish. In total, cadets representing 13 agencies participated in the ceremony.
Four cadets were recognized for their outstanding performances in specific areas of the academy. Timothy Early with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office received the Firearms Award. Brian Wise with the Arcadia Police Department was the Physical Fitness Award recipient and CPSO Deputy James Gelston was the Academic Award recipient. Officer Maim Smith with the Louisiana State University of Shreveport Police Department received the Leadership Award for displaying exemplary leadership skills and qualities of a professional peace officer.
A special moment during the ceremony happened when family members pinned on the cadets’ badges. Shortly thereafter, Sheriff Steve Prator administered the Oath of Office to the graduates.
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