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Sheriff outlines expanded training, 911 school certification and eighth-grade outreach in Washington Parish
Summary
The Washington Parish sheriff (name not given) described a new deputy training regimen, a 911 emergency-communicator certification to be offered in schools starting this August, and a two-part youth program that included visits to Raven Correctional for 225 eighth-grade boys and planned spring outdoor activities and mentorship.
The sheriff of Washington Parish said he is prioritizing expanded training and community programs intended to improve public safety and prevent youth involvement in crime. “What I’ve really tried to focus on is making the deliberate choice to put aside personal feelings and work with anybody that wants to help move Washington Parish forward,” he said.
The sheriff described a deliberate training program for deputies that emphasizes crime-scene investigation and monthly full training days. He said: “On the second and third Tuesday of every month, we set aside a full day. … physical training in the morning followed by defensive tactics and then in the afternoon they will go through marksmanship training.” The goal, he said, is to reduce evidence contamination and to strengthen investigative outcomes for victims.
He announced that Washington Parish will start a 911 emergency-communicator certification program in local schools next August, modeled after a program in Ascension Parish. A deputy is currently undergoing instructor training so the parish can offer the elective in the spring.
The sheriff also described a two-part youth outreach effort. He recounted taking 225 eighth-grade boys to Raven Correctional, where students were oriented in a holding area, heard from inmates about life inside, and had chances to ask deputies and officers about encounters with law enforcement. He said District Attorney Colin Sims supported the program and that school officials he named recommended focusing on eighth grade. “If you give somebody better information, if you give kids a different perspective, they’re going to make different decisions,” he said.
For the spring follow-up, the sheriff said the parish will offer positive experiences—horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking and disc golf—and commit to a mentorship-style follow-up through students’ high-school years so they have an ongoing connection when making decisions.
He also raised concerns about pregnant women in custody who are drug-addicted, saying holding them through delivery can reduce neonatal addiction and provide a chance for treatment. “If they come in and they’re drug addicted and they’re pregnant … if we can keep them long enough for the baby to be delivered without being dependent on drugs, then we can actually maybe give them a fighting chance,” he said.
The sheriff closed by noting community service efforts (including a parish grant-funded litter pickup program using Department of Corrections inmates and coordinated Thanksgiving meals for seniors) as part of a broader push to use the sheriff’s office to connect residents with services and opportunities.
Next steps listed by the sheriff include implementing the school certification course, sustaining monthly deputy training, completing the spring youth follow-up programming and continuing the litter-pickup and seniors’ meal efforts.
