CPSO deputies complete week long training

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Over the last week, several Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Deputies underwent training, preparing them for various scenarios they might face on the job.

Commander James McGee with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says the training helps patrol be ready for any situation.

“Over the past 5 days, our SWAT team has hosted an advanced patrol school, which is consisted of patrol officers getting advanced training in tactics of vehicle and building searches and active shooters,” McGee said. “We have one of the best SWAT teams in the nation, but the problem is our first responders are our patrol officers. It may be a while before SWAT gets there so we want our patrol officers to have more advanced training because they will be the first ones to get there.”

The training includes physical fitness exercises; deputies went through obstacle courses and firearms training over the course of five days.

“It’s a lot of information in one week, but it is proven," McGee said. "We have been doing this for several years and it has proven to be very successful training for us.”

McGee says ten deputies underwent the training, most of them were FTO, or field training officers.

“What helps us with that they, in turn, pass it on to the deputies that they are training and it’s just attrition that we’re just going to keep getting better and better and better," McGee said. "That’s the goal of our sheriff and that’s the goal of the department.”

McGee says CPSO does this training annually.

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