Graduates finish sheriff’s academy training regiment

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy graduated eight of the 10 cadets who began training in August. The cadets of Session 55 underwent 550 hours of rigorous training in defensive tactics, firearms, criminal and traffic law, first aid, community policing and other aspects of law enforcement. Under the direction of Captain Brian Charpentier, cadets achieve a level of mental and physical skill and conditioning that contributes to a positive police culture and equips them to excel at meeting evolving public safety needs.
From service in the military to school teaching, the previous experience that cadets brought to the 55th session resulted in one of the most intense training academies in recent history. Through teamwork, cadets pushed themselves and their classmates to a higher level of excellence in every aspect of their training.
During the graduation address given by Deputy Walter Shepherd, the class challenged future academy sessions to set the bar even higher. Session 56, the next class of cadets, begins training this week.
The Physical Fitness Award went to Deputy Ryan Russo; the John Kahl Award of Excellence went to Deputy Kevin Seidel. For the first time in academy history, two cadets with equally high skills took the firearms award for proficiency in shooting Deputy Adam Robison and Russo.