Shreveport, La. — City leaders marked another training milestone Thursday as the police academy’s 96th Basic Training Class finished and prepared to report for duty after a morning program on community service, standards and peer support.
Reporting on the ceremony said eight recruits are bound for the Shreveport Police Department and four completed the course for outside agencies that train with the city class.
Chief Wayne Smith told the new officers to keep quality help for residents at the center of the job and to treat assisting people they meet as an ongoing duty.
U.S. Marshal Brian Barber urged them to stay fair, efficient and effective when the work turns hard, and he stressed leaning on peers when the job gets heavy.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux joined the ceremony to thank the group for choosing local public service. Class President Jayla Gilmore spoke to her classmates and said Class 96 stood ready for the work ahead.
The academy runs basic instruction for city recruits and for some officers from neighboring departments who complete the same course before returning to their home agencies.
Thursday’s program mixed remarks from police leadership, a federal marshal and city hall as the newest Shreveport Police Department officers prepared to leave classroom and range work for city shifts.
Families and agency leaders filled the room as trainers closed another cycle and handed the newest class into the ranks that cover Shreveport neighborhoods.
Officials cast the graduation as a staffing gain for public safety while departments across Louisiana still compete for trained officers willing to pin on a badge in Shreveport.
Section: More Shreveport LA crime news
Filed under: Shreveport LA Public Safety News
